August 9th, 2022
So I've finally finished my internship, and it was a good wild ride. It was an honor and a privilege to work with so many amazing people this summer. I want to thank all of my amazing co-workers and supervisors, and of course CWC's director. All of you have an inspiring level of energy and passion, and I wouldn't have had anywhere near as great a summer without you guys. We spent so much time together over the summer that I am convinced we all operate on the same mental wavelength now. Each of us developed the preternatural ability to sense almost exactly what each other is going to say or do, and we have also run into each other outside of work in what seemed like very funny coincidences. Having trustworthy and supportive co-workers is essential for this kind of job, and I was really lucky to work with the amazing people I did. Most nights we left work in good spirits, but we were always very supportive of each other on the harder nights. The work at Centre Wildlife Care requires a team effort, and CWC has one of the best teams there is.
In spite of (or maybe because of) all the crazy things that happened this summer, I had an amazing time working at CWC. I got to work with so many different animals and I learned so much about wildlife rehab and our amazing native animals. There were so many amazing moments, such as releasing the baby opossums and bottle-feeding the baby raccoons. There were a lot of sad moments too, but the happy times outweighed the sad times by far. Working with wild animals in need is incredibly rewarding, and I don't at all regret my time as an intern at CWC. I don’t think I’d want to work there as a full-time job though. It was exhausting just doing it for the summer. Some of the supervisors work full time, and I have a crazy amount of respect for the
If I had to think back on the best and worst parts of the summer, I would say that the things I loved most were learning how to tube-feed birds, releasing baby opossums, and bottle-feeding the baby raccoons. The worst part of the summer by far was the parvovirus outbreak. The second-worst part of the summer was having to say goodbye to so many rehab animals that will be released before I come back as a volunteer. The baby raccoons are probably going to be released before I come back to CWC, but I wish them all the best. After spending the summer working, I would say that raccoons are my favorite, and opossums are my second favorite, which is followed by squirrels, baby birds, and then skunks are in last. Because of our educational skunk Petunia, I have a much greater appreciation for skunks, but Petunia is also de-scented, while the wild skunks are not. Adult skunks are not at all aggressive, and they only spray when surprised or attacked. Baby skunks can't always control when they spray, so when there are skunks in the clinic things can get stinky fast. Skunks spray smells like a mix of burnt tires and onions; you can taste skunk spray in your mouth and it makes your eyes water. It's absolutely horrible. There have been a few days where I spent my whole shift breathing through my mouth instead of my nose because of the skunks. After spending time with so many different kinds of animals, I have learned to appreciate their good and bad sides.
Baby raccoons are super cute and playful, but they have temper tantrums when they are upset and will scream for hours. Baby opossums aren't really aggressive towards us at all, and they are really cute when sleeping, but they have been known to eat their sibling's tails once in a while (which is really their only flaw). Baby Squirrels are really energetic and are fun to watch play, but they escape their enclosures all the time and their bites are agonizingly painful. Baby birds are cute and will sometimes sit on your shoulders, but they are extremely high maintenance and escape and fly around the clinic all the time when they get older. Skunks are much more calm and docile than you would think, but they will definitely spray you in the face if aggravated. That is why we always wear eye protection when working with skunks. Dealing with so many different kinds of animals that can be annoying in ways has really taught me to be patient and calm in an extremely busy environment. When baby raccoons are screaming because they're hungry and the baby birds are chirping really loudly, and you've been spending the last five minutes trying to get a baby opossum to just swallow the darn tube so you can finish feeding him and go do something else important... you eventually learn to reach a kind of zen so that this stuff doesn't bother you. Taking care of baby animals is a lot closer to taking care of children than you might think. Baby animals are noisy, needy, and will probably poop/pee all over you at some point, but you can't help but love them anyway. Even though the work can be messy, it is also extremely rewarding.
When working at CWC, I have seen a lot of small miracles. There have been so many animals that we were almost sure wouldn't survive, but who pulled through and were able to be released. Raccoon 265, who survived severe illness, and many of our baby opossums who survive after their mother is hit by a car are just some of these "miracle" cases. Knowing what a difficult journey the animal has had makes their release all the more sweet. Working at CWC is rewarding in other ways as well. The diversity of wildlife that comes through Centre Wildlife Care is just amazing, and I have seen so many animals that many people will never get to see. I personally had never seen a bittern, an opossum, or a gray fox before working at CWC. I had seen captive great-horned owls, screech owls, and merlins before, but never a wild one. Those were just some of the amazing opportunities for learning and growth I had at CWC. Getting to work with so many amazing people and animals at Centre Wildlife Care was an honor and a privilege that I will never forget.
On another note, this is the time of year where Centre Wildlife Care recruits a lot of volunteers, so if you’re interested in being a part of our crazy team, please apply here: https://centrewildlifecare.org/volunteer-%26-support
I recommend applying sooner rather than later since volunteer slots fill up quickly. I’ve been promoted to being a volunteer trainer, so there is a chance you’ll have to deal with me if you become a volunteer! I promise I won’t be TOO hard on you. I look forward to working with all of our new and returning volunteers!
