Anyone who has a pet knows that there is a special communication between people and animals. Just ask about someone’s pet, and you will hear stories about unspoken communication. Animals know much more than we give them credit for.
Recently, when our area was shocked by a tornado, an earthquake, and a hurricane people observed that animals in all kinds of environments reacted to the impending events in unusual ways. Many wildlife biologists agree that animals can sense when air pressure drops or vibration occurs.
Even at Port Discover, we saw what may have been animal reactions the day before Irene’s arrival. Our resident corn snake, “Cornelia” slithered out of the educator’s lap and tightly wrapped herself under the chair bottom. The Cope’s Gray tree frog went AWOL for a day and was found not far from his home.Biologist at the National Zoo in Washington, DC reported that lemurs, orangutans, and a gorilla were restless and made noises before the earthquake that shook the east coast. Reports were that snakes began writhing and flamingos huddled together.
Animals have good cause to express fear when faced with disaster because often they are defenseless and abandoned. During the tornado in Joplin, MO 160 people were killed and the SPCA took in 1,300 lost or abandoned cats and dogs. Only 300 were returned to their owners. An adopt-a-thon held after the storm drew 5,700 people from 24 states that wanted to rescue the homeless pets.
The ASPCA recently reported that in a survey they learned that 42% of pet owners claimed that they would not evacuate if their pets could not go with them. After Irene more than a dozen animals were taken to the Norfolk SPCA from shelters in NC that were overflowing.
As the clean-up began after Irene, more than 100 baby gray squirrels that had been knocked out of their nests were found. My grandchildren in Wilmington were given two baby squirrels to care for by their neighbor who is a veterinarian. He has coached them through the rehabilitation process. After being fed formula for a couple of weeks, they are now dining on cranberries and cheerios. They will eventually be released in an area where they can successfully get back to the life that Mother Nature intended.
Wildlife that is rescued by people should be released into an area away from the neighborhood where they were nurtured because they might continue to expect food from the humans that cared for them. Squirrels have been known to become aggressive in such situations.
There is much to be considered when rescuing wildlife, and it is much more complex than simply feeding them. You can become a certified wildlife rescuer if you sign-up and complete training. Websites such as www.paws.org/become-rehabilitator and www.wildliferescueme.org/northcarolina have information about how to pursue that goal.
Mohandas Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” People to the rescue!
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