Wild Kritters Of Niagara County

Helping injured & orphaned wildlife in Niagara County, NY

Animal Tales

Unexpected visitor

REAL STORIES
Rescue, Recovery, and Hope

Every animal that comes through the doors of Wild Kritters carries a story — a journey marked by struggle, survival, and sometimes a second chance at life. From tiny orphaned songbirds and mischievous squirrels to majestic owls and shy mammals, each critter we care for reminds us of the fragile beauty of wildlife and the resilience that lies within every creature.

These stories come straight from the hearts of our volunteers, who dedicate countless hours to rescuing, nurturing, and rehabilitating animals in need. They tell of late-night rescues in stormy weather, careful feedings of the tiniest babies, and the patient work of teaching injured animals to survive again in the wild. Every story is a window into the challenges, triumphs, and unexpected moments of joy that come with wildlife rehabilitation.

Through these tales, you’ll see not only the incredible diversity of animals in Niagara County but also the deep compassion and dedication of the people who care for them. You’ll meet the squirrels that navigate intricate mazes, the owls with stories of bravery and mischief, and countless other animals whose lives were forever changed by the kindness and expertise of our volunteers.

We hope these stories inspire you, educate you, and connect you to the incredible world of wildlife around us. Each tale is a celebration of survival, a reminder of the difference one person — or one community — can make, and a heartfelt invitation to join us in caring for the creatures that share our world.
Macgyver 1

Red Hawk Down

 

MacGyver: The Red Tail Hawk

For several years, the residents on Dickersonville Road watched a mated pair of red tail hawks peacefully soaring in the sky, hunting in the fields, and never bothering anyone. Red tail hawks, also known as Chicken Hawks or Buzzard Hawks, are monogamous; often mating for life. With their excellent eye sight, eight times that of you and I, they can soar at high altitudes to hunt their prey. Tolerant of mankind interaction, unless defending their nest, they have been found nesting in largely populated cities, such as New York.

However, this peace was soon to be disturbed. A retired detective had found the female red tail injured in the field, unable to fly. A flurry of phone calls came into Wild Kritters – other rehabbers, Sheriff Department and concerned residents – all looking for someone to help the injured bird. Two of our volunteers went to assist the community.

When they arrived, the retired detective had the female hawk already in a vented box. He, his family, and others from the neighborhood were relieved to see help arrive. As the volunteers were transferring her from the box to an appropriate carrier for transporting, they noticed a large cut on her back and neck. Once back at Wild Kritters headquarters, the volunteers were able to clean the wound and get a closer look at it. The wound was a large, very deep and opened one.

Determining the hawk needed immediate veterinary care, she was transported to Dr. Wade in Lancaster for examination. Dr. Wade’s diagnosis: the hawk had a broken clavicle and would need surgery; and indeed, the wound was infected. She was also disturbed by the spots on the x-ray, indicating “those spots could be from a gun shot.” Surgery was scheduled and MacGyver, our new name for the red tail, came back to Wild Kritters to recuperate.

MacGyver’s wound, once deep and infected, was now a long line of stitches and large bald spot. (And yes, the spots on the x-ray were from a gun shot.) The wound would need cleaning, twice a day. The location and extent of her injury required MacGyver to be kept in an enclosure that limited her from stretching her wings and tearing her stitches out.

Six weeks later, MacGyver’s stitches are healed, leaving only the large bald spot. She still cannot be taken outside. Instead, a new indoor cage had to be built for her. (THANK YOU Fox Fence and Home Depot). She will remain in this indoor cage, until the weather is a bit warmer and she is well enough to be transferred to an outdoor flight cage. The flight cage will allow MacGyver to stretch her wings, building up her strength, allowing her to soar once again in the wild with her mate.

Should it be determined that MacGyver cannot be returned to the wild, she will always have a home with Wild Kritters. We will license and “adopt” her as one of our educational birds, providing her with whatever care she needs.

Red Tail Hawk

Macgyver 3
Macgyver 2
Macgyver 4

New rehabbers 4

The Adventures of New Rehabbers

We got to their home shortly after 2p.m. and it was perfect timing! All the babies were hungry, so Niamh started with a tiny syringe of squirrel formula and fed the one squirrel who remains in the house for close supervision. She might have fallen out of the tree that her home was in when it was cut down and possibly suffers from some neurological issues. She shakes when she moves and has difficulty balancing herself. With some difficulty latching on, little squirrely finally started suckling from Niamh's syringe and gobbled up all her food! Then it was time to meet the baby Starlings! In their nest, snuggled closely together for warmth, 5 little Starlings starting crying for their food. What is this?! The Ugly Duckling?! There was a 6th baby bird, featherless and about a quarter of the Starlings' size. Brenda explained to us that he was a completely different bird and she wasn't quite sure what his particular species was yet. Brenda needed to hold him to feed but the little Starlings, now feathered and moving a wee bit, stuck their heads out high up in the sky as Brenda dropped mushy dog food into their crop (Actually, I couldn't remember this word and just asked Niamh now, if she remembered the word Brenda taught us - the part of the neck where the babies store their food and ingest a little at a time. Without skipping a beat, Niamh answered, crop. Niamh's ability to listen to details and retain information is uncanny. Sometimes people mistake her for not listening as she may be looking somewhere else, but she is listening to every word. My ability to retain information? Eh, not so much!).

Brenda then decided that being new rehabbers, we would start with three baby birds. We got our babies ready in their carrying case, sat down at the kitchen table and learned a little more about how to care for our new little ones: Always ensure that they are WARM and never feed them if they are COLD. They can eat either cat or dog food by mixing it with boiling water until it becomes the consistency of soft, oatmeal chunks. They are now at the stage where they will need to be fed every 30 minutes but we can take them wherever we go (This was a big deal as we are always on the go!) Regularly clean their nest and carrying case as baby Starlings do three things very well: Eat, Sleep and Poop! (Remind anyone of their own human newborns?!) Do NOT talk to them in cutsie baby talk. In fact, try not to talk to them at all as they will imprint on you and then they and you both, have a problem. (Imprinting is when baby birds identify with whatever or whomever is feeding them. If it happens to be a human, when it comes time for soft or hard release, they will not want to leave you and you will find them nesting behind a wheel of your car or pooping on you - close by - waiting for you to feed them. Imprinting on humans also means the birds will be susceptible to dangers as they will feel no fear approaching humans and other creatures, putting them in potentially life-threatening situations). As they grow, they will begin to perch themselves on the lip of their little nest and will need to be placed in an actual cage, with branches and a food dish. Gradually teach them to feed independently from the dish by placing the food by hand, closer and closer to the dish. When the birds are eating independently from the dish and moving freely about the cage, it will be time for soft release - we bring them to a safe place, open the cage and allow them to search for their own food. The cage remains open so that they can come back to rest and eat should they feel the need. Eventually, they will fly away and start to live their independent Starling life.

** I have also read that it is extremely important for whatever species of bird you have, to hear their song. For us, that will mean that our birds need to hear mature Starlings singing so that they can identify with (imprint) their own song and be accepted into the Starling family in the wild.

With our lesson over, we headed to the car with our new baby birds and started our trip back home. Before we arrived home, the baby birds needed to feed. Just like a natural mama, Niamh opened their box and fed each one of them until they once again quieted down into a newborn sleepy state and fell back to sleep. The afternoon and night was AMAZING! My daughter has truly become a mama bird! Over the course of our first day and night, Niamh set the timer every 30 minutes, changed their bedding, ensured each of the three birds had been properly fed and by 9:00p.m., placed a towel over their case for extra darkness and the babies slept - right through the night! Niamh is puffing with pride! She is glowing and elated with having been given the awesome responsibility of caring for dependent birds and I am spilling over with love. Here are some amazing feelings that my daughter has shared with the family:

Dad, Carleigh and Shannon are going to be PSYCHED!

Mom, I could be sitting at a DESK right now but I'm taking care of baby birds!

We are both mamas now, mom!

Shannon, please come see the baby birds; I'll tell you all about them.

Dad, do you want to see me feeding them?

When the baby birds were put to bed for our first night, we sat around the fire, contemplating our day. I could literally write a book alone, on how Niamh is not only rising to this new challenge, but about the development of pride, strength, independence, self-esteem - the list goes on and on and on. You know that look on a new mother's face that radiates from within?

That is Niamh, our mama bird.
New rehabbers 1

New Rehabbers - Part 2

Being brand new to wildlife rehabilitation, my daughter, Niamh and I, started caring for three little Starlings from a brood of five on Friday, May 11th, 2012 – Larry, Curly and Moe. By Sunday, Niamh decided to change Curly’s name to Charlie and Larry’s to Tiny as he just wasn’t thriving like the others were. By Monday, May 14th, we were able to take the other two who were being cared for by our Wild Kritters of Niagara mentor, Brenda.

Sadly, our Tiny continued to decline and on Tuesday afternoon, we lost him. It was devastating to both of us. It is amazing how quickly our hearts bond to the dependent creatures in our care. Tiny was just not developing as well as the other ones. He had a claw that was deformed and this made him quite unstable on his feet. He wasn’t able to lift his head much at all, had difficulty swallowing unless we gently massaged his neck and he didn’t sing as the other ones were doing. We had been quite concerned about him over the course of 3 days and tried our very best to encourage him to open his beak to eat but in the end, his disabilities overcame his will to survive and we had to say good-bye to Tiny. Niamh wrote a loving farewell letter to him and he is resting now in the side garden of our home. (Please see this heartwarming letter at the bottom of the article)

In Tiny’s honor, Niamh named one of the two new added Starlings, Tiny Jr. Our other new family member is Buddy and Moe has been renamed, Frankenstein. I often have to consult Niamh to help me remember the ever-changing names! Our brood of four is getting more and more powerful by the day! It is now Tuesday, May 22nd and not only do they have all of their feathers, they are flying independently and are almost eating on their own as well.

They cannot be released responsibly, until they can independently eat so we are indeed on our last stage with them. I go through mixed emotions

from sheer exhaustion and frustration, to elation and sadness, anticipating their departure. To rehabilitate is a feeling like none other. Every creature - great and small - deserves a life and some would not even get the chance if it weren’t for loving hands.

Through observation, we have been able to see how the birds mimic one another. One of the four, Frankenstein, is most definitely the leader. He was the first to perch, the first to attempt flying and the first to eat from the dish. We watch in awe as the others seem to gravitate toward him and attempt these feats, one at a time – truly amazing. In less than two weeks, we have witnessed completely dependent featherless birds, become almost independent fully functioning adult Starlings, ready to take on the world! On Sunday, we brought their cage outside so they could listen even closer to the Starling song and continue to imprint. Up until that point, we would hang the cage in the living room window and allow them to hear and see all they could but that is no comparison to outside in the open. To our utter amazement, an adult Starling flew over to the cage, swooped down and fluttered on the spot for a few seconds before taking off. My immediate grandmotherly instincts were to swoosh it away from the babies but in a split second I realized it was probably a mother Starling who recognized her kind and was innocently curious. Had I caught that moment on film, it would have been invaluable!

So, today’s job is to allow the birds to come and go out of the cage as they please in a safe setting. We will continue to encourage them to eat independently and hopefully, with Frankenstein’s help, we will continue to lead the other four to gradual independence. With all of our combined efforts, we should be able to introduce our Starlings to the wild in less than a week’s time! Wish us luck!

I love you very, very much tiny we tried our best we love you a lot I am sorry this happened to you.

Love mama bird

---------------------------------------

Dear Tiny,

Your Mama Bird Niamh tried very hard to help you eat but your body just didn’t want to. You weren’t able to swallow or keep your food down. I hope that your next journey brings you to a beautiful place. Be well on your journey.

Love Grandma Bird
 
New Rehabber
New rehabbers 2
New rehabbers 3
New rehabbers 5

Tundra 1

The Snowy Tundra

Early one December morning I received a call to a farmer's cow pasture for a snowy owl laying on its side.
 

A sheriff and DEC officer met me there. We had the farmer turn the electric fence off so that we could get in the field.

We were easily able to throw a blanket over the owl and catch him.

He had no obvious wounds but it was clear he could not fly. I brought him to the vet where X-rays were done and showed a fracture in his right humeral head (shoulder).

We contacted the Dr Hopf at Janet L. Swanson Cornell University wildlife hospital and she agreed to do this tedious surgery.

So off I went for the 3-hour ride to get this beautiful owl the help he needed.
His surgery was successful. He had a pin and some other hardware put in which will come out once healed, and he is still there healing.

Our goal is and always has been that he heal properly and be released back into the wild.

Snowy owls are just starting to appear in our area from the Canadian Artic and Alaska for their Migrational Period. Also, they Mate for Life.

Thank you to Dr Wade and Dr Hopf for your prompt attention and consideration for this Beautiful Bird of Prey.

We will keep you posted as to Tundra's (I named him) progress.
 
Snowy Owl
480789287 969023165373242 3194818973938552655 n
Tundra 1
Tundra 2
Walmart seagulls 2
Walmart Seagulls

Lots and Lots of Birds

No matter how one might feel about adult seagulls – “wind rats”, “dumpster chickens”, “french fry thieves” – when it comes to the helpless, the babies, you can’t help but get emotional and get involved. This rescue would not have been as successful without the combined efforts of AWARE, Lakeview Animal Sanctuary, Mulvey Construction and the public involvement. We would like to thank all who took the time to lend a hand and cared enough to become involved. The following is Wild Kritters’ account of the events on that emotionally-charged day of June 9th and how it began for us.

The Rescue

On the afternoon of June 9th, Wild Kritters received a phone call from a concerned citizen. The caller stated that baby seagulls were being intentionally killed by the construction workers at the Lockport Mall. Since the rehabilitator was already on a call, she could not immediately respond. Instead, she took the information and contacted several other wildlife rehabilitation agencies in the area. After completing the call and caring for the injured animal, two Wild Kritters volunteers headed to the Lockport site. While in route, the Niagara County Sheriff Department, US Fish and Wildlife, and the DEC were contacted for guidance and as a precautionary measure. Upon our arrival, Lakeview Animal Sanctuary was on site, along with several law enforcement agencies, discussing the situation with Mulvey Construction’s site foreman. At approximately 3:30 p.m, construction was temporarily shutdown, permitting volunteers to enter the construction zone to assess the situation and remove the young birds. Volunteers from AWARE arrived on site and a plan of attack was developed on how to remove the baby birds. Two volunteers entered the construction site and retrieve the birds. The remaining volunteers waited outside the construction zone to received the birds, assess their injuries, and prepare them for relocation. Inside the construction zone, several dozen baby gulls were found running under debris, looking for shelter, as the adult gulls soared above. One by one, the gulls were captured and handed to the volunteers outside the site. By 5:30 p.m., the rescue operation was called to a halt. The high heat and humidity, combined with the trauma of avoiding capture, was adding stress on the babies. Thus the potential to do more harm, than good. Approximately 40 babies had been removed, but there were still dozens more that needed to be caught. The construction foreman agreed to allow the volunteers of Wild Kritters, AWARE and Lakeview Animal Sanctuary to return the next morning at 7:30 and continue the rescue mission.

When Wild Kritters returned the morning of June 10th, the construction crew had been on site since 6:00 that morning and captured 20 more baby gulls. Volunteers from AWARE and Lakeview also returned that day and they, too, removed even more babies.

By the end of the day on June 10th, an approximate total of 63 baby gulls were removed and rescued from the site. Out of those 63, six were taken to the Erie County SPCA Wildlife Division for medical treatment. The remaining gulls are being cared for by AWARE and Wild Kritters, both agencies have the necessary Federal permits to care for the birds.

The “What Now”

We are all experienced rehabilitators, we have worked with seagulls in the past, but, to have this many babies at one time is a very unique situation. Wild Kritters has over 40 baby gulls in their care. (If the little rascals would sit still long enough, we could get an accurate count!) We are working with Joel Thomas, Erie County SPCA Wildlife, to develop a release plan for the birds, when they are ready to be returned to the wild. Joel is also working with Tri-State, a non profit bird rescue and research agency in Delaware to develop the release plan.

However, until the birds can be released, we must continue to provide food, shelter and care. Help is desperately needed.

How You Can Help

It’s true, a seagull will eat almost anything, but our mission is to return these birds to their environment as healthy as possible. So, sorry folks, french fries are off the food list! While in our care, their diet will consist of fish, mollusks, dry cat food moistened with water, and whatever worms they can catch. Donations of any of the above would be appreciated.

As the gulls get older, a bigger cage will be required. Extra fencing, wood, or even the skills to build the cage are needed.

Perhaps you have some extra time available and would like to get a “hands-on” involvement in the care. Sure! We’d love the extra hand or two or three when it comes to feeding time.

Conclusion

The seagulls were all released safely back into the wild.

 

SeaGulls of Walmart

Walmart seagulls 2
Walmart seagulls 1
Walmart seagulls 3
Unexpected visitor
Unexpected Visitor
The Curious Squirrel

It was another cold day in January when the phone rang. There was a nice lady on the other end explaining that she thought she had a squirrel trapped in the vent going into her hot water heater. She went on to explain that this has happened before.  A couple of years earlier, a squirrel had been trapped in the same place and she didn’t realize then until it was too late and that squirrel didn’t make it. So this time, when she heard scratching and squealing coming from the basement, she pretty much knew what it was. She starting calling members of Wild Kritters and finally got a hold of Brenda and Shawn in Lockport.

After hearing the story of the past experience and what the situation was now, Shawn called Jim and explained what was happening. They made a plan of what they might need to get this poor little squirrel out of the pipes and then got their gear together and headed for North Tonawanda.

When we arrived at the ladies house she greeted us at the back door and led us to the basement. She pointed out where the problem was and sure enough, there was definitely what sounded like a squirrel, stuck in the pipes going right into the top of the hot water heater.

She explained how when this happened before, she called a heating & air guy who came out and got the squirrel out. It was clear that he cut an entire section of the pipe out to remove the squirrel. He put 3 bolt screws at each end to reassemble the pipe. This made our job much easier to retrieve this new visitor who got way more than he bargained for when he shimmied down this chimney.

We pulled the section of pipe out and capped both ends. We took it outside and pushed the squirrel out into a pillow case. We pulled the squirrel out and checked it over to make sure it had no injuries and then let him go on his merry way. And boy did he take off like a rocket!

It was clear that this little guy was very happy to be free once again.

The lady was very grateful that we were able to retrieve the squirrel, put her pipes back together, relight her pilot to the hot water heater and all within about an hour of arriving at her location. The best part was no harm came to the squirrel throughout this whole process.

The moral of this story is if you have a chimney, make sure you have a screen on the top so wildlife cannot come inside your home.

Grey Squirrel

Unexpected visitor
Unexpected visitor 2
Out of the drain 2
Out of the Drain
SOPHIE - Our Little Storm Drain Survivor

The neighborhood of Lasalle came together last spring when cries where heard coming from a storm drain. One of the residents called Wild Kritters to investigate. When our volunteers got to the location, they, too, heard the cries – the cries of baby raccoons. Looking around, they discovered a mother raccoon dead in the road. The babies had gotten into the storm drain. How? And how many? Neither question mattered. Our biggest concern and worst fear, how would we get them out? This three-day adventure truly was a test of our volunteers’ creativity and patience.

We couldn’t see into the storm pipes to know how many or where the babies were located. Knowing the mother was dead, the volunteers assumed the lil’ tykes hadn’t ate in a while. Perhaps a little food would coax them out. Luring some tempting morsels of food down the sewer, one crying voice emerged from a pipe, coming close enough for our rehabilitator to capture him and bring him up to safety. He was wet, cold, dehydrated and so very small. His mouth was covered with black dirt, mud, and sewer. He was having breathing difficulties and was immediately put into an incubator. Further attempts to lure the remaining raccoons to safety failed; at least for today.

Day Two

Our dedicated volunteers went back to the storm drain. They knew that food alone would not bring out the remaining babies. Desperate measures were called for if these babies were to be saved. The volunteers took turns being suspended upside down into the sewer drain,
held on by their feet and a belt, as they surveyed which of the four pipes the voice were echoing from; still trying to coax the hungry critters into the open long enough to rescue them. Success! Baby No. 2 peeked out of a pipe. The quick reflexes of our volunteer got a tight enough hold on baby to bring him to the surface. He, too, had black soil and rock in his nose, mouth and lungs. Small, cold and dehydrated, he was quickly put into an incubator. But…..there was still one distant, cry echoing from the drain. We still had work to do. Yet which of the four pipes was the cry coming from? The pipes were too small for our rehabilitators to crawl through. We had to regroup, rethink and pray the baby raccoon would hold on. It was time for MacGyver!

MacGyver is our affection nickname for one of rehabilitators, Lori. Just like MacGyver in the television series, Lori has the uncanny ability to solve what often seems as an “unsolvable problem” using common, everyday items.

Day Three - The Final Episode

Once again, our volunteers went back to the drain. This time, however, we came “armed”. MacGyver had created an extra long, extendable pole with a net at the end; all held together with duct tape. Again the volunteers suspended themselves upside down into the sewer drain. Using the tool MacGyver created, we were finally able to reach deep enough into the fourth sewer pipe to net the last little voice from the dark – a female. Like the others, “Sophie”, as we call her, was wet, dehydrated and covered with muck; requiring immediately medical attention.

Epilogue

All three babies were very sick and small. Sophie survived her ordeal. Unfortunately her brothers did not. Sophie was too small and under nourished to be returned to the wild. She spent the winter with an RVS licensed rehabilitator in an outdoor enclosure. We are happy to say, Sophie is ready for release this March.

To the residents in Lasalle, we say “THANK YOU” for taking time to care for God’s creatures.

Did you know that raccoons eat mice and are part of nature’s clean-up crew? Without them, the environment would become unhealthy. Raccoons are also very clean animals and love the water. Yes, they do come out during the day. It is on the nice days throughout the year, a raccoon can be seen playing and teaching their young how to hunt and find shelter. So just because a raccoon is out during the day, doesn’t mean it is sick.

Seagulls of Walmart

Out of the drain 2
Out of the drain 3
Out of the drain 1
Owl catch 1

On Call with a Rehabber

On November 8th 2021 I received an early morning call from Niagara County Dispatch, requesting my assistance with an injured owl on Route 104 in Lewiston. Upon arrival, I was met by several Lewiston Police officers who pointed out a large, male, great-horned owl under a pine tree, in distress with an apparent broken wing.

As I approached the owl with my throw-net, it spread its wings to take off and I cast the net several feet ahead, catching it in mid-flight. With its talons latched into the net, it took twenty minutes to untangle the bird and get it into a carrier for transport to the Erie County SPCA where Wildlife Vet, Karen Slote, determined there was no broken wing, but through an X-Ray determined that the owl was suffering from severe bumble foot. Following a two-hour surgery to remove the potentially lethal, infectious lesions, his feet were bandaged and he is currently being “wintered over” at the SPCA and is expected to make a full recovery.
 
Need Help or Have an Emergency?
WHEN IN DOUBT, CALL US FIRST!
Thank you so much for taking the time to care!

Contact Phone Numbers