Humboldt Wildlife Care Center Expands Facilities for Orphaned Fawns with Coast Guard Volunteers’ Support
In a bid to enhance its capacity for rehabilitating orphaned fawns, the Humboldt Wildlife Care Center (HWCC) is working on an expansion project at its Manila property. The center, known for its dedication to rescuing and rehabilitating injured or orphaned wildlife, recently announced plans to construct what they proudly dub “the best fawn yard yet.”
Every summer, the HWCC extends its compassionate arms to 5 to 15 fawns, tragically orphaned due to the untimely demise of their mothers, often in vehicular accidents. These helpless creatures find solace and care at the center, where they are nurtured back to health and prepared for reintroduction into their natural habitat.
Central to this process is the meticulous care provided by the HWCC team. Upon arrival, each fawn is gently introduced to a milk replacer and gradually taught to feed from a bottle affixed to a rack. This procedure aims to minimize human interaction, ensuring the fawns retain their natural instincts and readiness for life in the wild.
In a recent announcement on YouTube, HWCC’s Facilitator, Monte Merrick, unveiled plans for a significant expansion, boasting an impressive 5000 square feet addition to their facilities. Merrick expressed profound gratitude to the dedicated volunteers from the Coast Guard, whose invaluable assistance has propelled the expansion project forward.
Melinda Bacon, instrumental in organizing the Coast Guard volunteers, shed light on the noble endeavor. Bacon, currently serving as a Civilian for the Coast Guard and a Retired USCG Chief Warrant Officer W3, highlighted the deep-seated commitment of the volunteers. She explained that the endeavor was part of a cherished tradition known as the Chiefs Call to Initiation (CCTI), wherein newly promoted Chief Petty Officers engage in community service, networking, and fundraising endeavors.
Bacon further revealed the diverse composition of the volunteer cohort, which included not only newly appointed Chief Petty Officers but also Junior Commissioned Officers, predominantly helicopter pilots, contributing their time and expertise to the cause.
The recent collaborative efforts between the Humboldt Wildlife Care Center and the Coast Guard exemplify the spirit of community engagement and compassion towards our environment. As the HWCC continues its mission to provide unwavering support to wildlife in the region since 1979, they urge the public to contribute to their cause through donations. Every act of generosity ensures the sustained care and rehabilitation of vulnerable creatures, fostering a harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife in Humboldt and beyond.
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
When we raised a fawn on the ranch, we screwed up.
Now we get panic calls from first time guests who stop to take pictures.
Usually it is to inform us that “OMG there’s a deer in our car and it won’t get out”.
I hope more people don’t go out and “save” fawns from their mother
Please don’t touch unless mama deer is dead on the Hwy.
Saw Mama get mowed down by a grow dozer. Shelter was full.
We went through all the legal stuff. Daughter took a class that was required.
Their training was lacking. At no time did anyone ever tell us not to let the thing ride in the car.
She’s on year six.
Nothing meant toward you.
Just the people that see a fawn laying down doing it’s camouflage thing, thinking it’s hurt.
Most of us locals know when a little critter needs rescued.
I saw a doe and her newborn fawn run across the road in front me. The doe ran up the dirt bank on side of the road the fawn tried but only made it half way up and couldn’t make it any farther. It laid down with it’s legs splayed out on the hill with it’s head and ears laid flat in it’s “I’m invisible mode” It was so darn cute that I had trouble driving on without stopping to look at it.
All my ancestors had wild animals as pets. My aunt took her pet deer to school for “bring your pet to school day”. The deer was very tame and was a big hit with everybody.
A lot of people had pet chipmunks. Another uncle had a pet deer that he raised on a bottle with goat milk from the goats on the ranch. I had three pet flying squirrels. They are very sweet and make great pets, as long as you don’t mind them playing all night.
The same aunt that had a pet deer had a pet fox. It would disappear during breeding season, then come back home skinny and happy for some home cooking.
Skunks would get tame and beg to be fed with the dogs. A lot of kids had mud turtles. They would scratch their initials on their shell and turn them loose somewhere else, then find them later in the same spot in the creek that they came from originally.
My mother had a pet gray squirrel. She was the only one that could touch it.
The kids today don’t know what true freedom can be like.
I loved little critter but learned that when you take a baby anything from nature, you’re condemning it to death.
I’m thrilled that we have a dedicated wildlife service that can raise them right and release them.
Your family didn’t have hand devices to pack around all day so they had to engage with the environment or each other. Plus, it generally took two hands for work and fun.
Almost forgot: when I was around ten or so, the neighbor kids brought me two little nestlings whose tree had been chopped down. Wrens or sparrows, I don’t know. Since I was the “nature” guy, they gave them to me. Long story short, I built a nest in a bowl with wool rags and raised those birds and fledged them in the backyard. Great memory.