Springtime means wild baby time in North Florida and South Georgia. That's why we sought guidance from an expert from St. Francis Wildlife for advice on what to do when someone comes upon a seemingly abandoned wild baby.
Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager Hannah Altonji is part of the organization that’s been looking out for the region’s natural fauna for nearly 50 years.
“St. Francis Wildlife takes in over 3,000 animals annually and we see peaks of those intake numbers during our busy season, which is our baby season.”
And baby season, explained Altonji, is when things can get a bit crazy.
“A lot of misunderstanding that the public has about wildlife is that finding a baby animal means the animal needs help and a lot of these baby animals do NOT need help. So it’s always best to call St. Francis Wildlife first to get an evaluation of the animal and get some advice as well.”
If the baby animal doesn’t appear sick or injured, Altonji says the best response is usually to leave it where it is. But if the animal is obviously sick or hurt, she said it can be brought, either to the St. Francis headquarters, or two Tallahassee drop-off points, one at Northwood Animal Hospital, the other at Allied Animal Hospital.
Caring for wild critters is a labor-intensive - and expensive - proposition. So Altonji says St. Francis Wildlife is always looking for help from the community it serves.
“We use a lot of items every day, such as bleach, laundry detergent and we always have an expensive food bill. Our meats, our specialized formula for our baby animals. Most bugs and insects cost a lot of money, as well as daily medicine supplies. We also have a vet bill to pay, because we work with vets in our area.”
She said volunteers are always welcome. Especially during the very busy baby season.
