In honor of Raccoon Nation.  A salute…as they preparefor release back to the wild this week.  

I wanted to let you all know that the adolescent Coyote we’ve been treating in the hospital was successfully released yesterday! After a two month recovery at the Center he was given a clean bill of health and was discharged back into the wild. The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife issued the Coyote an eartag to help them track  and better understand the biology and behavior of these amazing animals. Thanks to all the hardwork and support from the New England Wildlife Center community this guy is back at home tonight happy and healthy, Thank you all so much!

Tonight on Channel 5, Dr. Rob shared  helpful information about coyotes.  In the clip, a woman explains to reporters that she was surrounded by coyotes in Hingham, MA while walking with her dog.  Most likely, the coyotes were young ones out with their mom.   The juveniles are out and curious, and mom is accompanying them.  If you encounter a similar situation, make a lot of noise and thrown rocks and sticks.  This will scare them away.  As we continue to encroach on wildlife, encounters with them increase.  We can all live together if we understand and respect what is wild.

Click here to watch:

http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/boston-south/Woman-dog-escape-pack-of-coyotes/-/9848842/15964028/-/7crtcx/-/index.html

A video by: Kyle Richards

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Join Dr. Mertz for this series of 10 micro-lectures from the Araquon Lodge.  This series will introduce you to the basics of how bodies are put together and how they work  in  the environment.  Let us know what else you  would like to  learn about comparative  anatomy and Dr. Mertz will talk about it  next time.

A video by: Kyle Richards

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The three Herring Gulls in this video came to the New England Wildlife Center as young orphans. Most Herring Gulls that come to the center are under the ideal weight for the species, so an important part of their treatment is simply to feed them. We inject Vitamin B complex into the fish we provide them because it is an important nutrient that is only available in fresh fish. We also give them a daily swim in our kiddie pools to mimic the ocean! Currently, their plumage is brown and mottled, but after a couple more years they will start to look like the white and grey adult sea gulls seen in the wild. Sea gulls are natural scavengers so you may have seen these birds stealing food at the beach and flying around mall and McDonalds parking lots!

-Bennett King, Student Intern

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In this video, two young raccoons are exposed to live fish for the first time. With orphaned wildlife, its important to introduce them to a range of natural food which they can find in the wild. This teaches them what is suitable forage and helps to discourage their dependence on humans for food.

These two juvenile raccoons were brought in at the beginning of this summer as orphans. The “masked bandits” have been a symbol for the New England Wildlife Center, as they are the favorites of many children, volunteers and interns.  They are so sneaky and curious that they were found venturing in the ceiling one night after figuring out how to push up the ceiling tiles. However, they must be taken care of with much caution because they can carry raccoon roundworm — a potentially dangerous parasite that if ingested can cause permanent neurological damage.  This is why it is extremely important for these animals to be used for educating the public about staying away from raccoons despite their very “cute” social nature.  These two raccoons have served as great mascots to our facility and are predicted to leave by the end of the summer!  Thanks to everyone who has supported us with donations and time — if it weren’t for our generous community, we would not have the resources to care for our wonderful local wildlife.”

– Lana Fox, Student Intern

Click here for a complete list of NEWC Videos

Click here for a complete list of NEWC Videos

FOX 25 talks with Katrina Bergman, executive director, and Dr. Greg Mertz, CEO.

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Canada Goose Release by Interns

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Dr. Cartoceti and interns are examining a brown bat.

Students from all over the world come to the Center to work and study.  Students come to the Center to gain valuable first hand experience in veterinary medical technology, medicine and natural history.  Our internship program specializes in full-immersion apprentice-style job training to high school and undergraduate students.  Over a hundred, out of eight-hundred, of our interns have gone on to veterinary school and graduate training.  Many gained their first exposure to the field of veterinary medicine  at the Center as volunteers who then went on to be interns at the Center.  Students have come to us from schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Boston University, Boston College, Mt. Ida College, Becker College, Dartmouth, Bowdoin, Colby, and the Universities of Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine, Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, and so forth. Students who have interned at the Center have represented all-in-all about a hundred colleges and universities.