Every Tiny Life Has a Wild Future Worth Fighting For
And you can help give it to them.
As spring arrives and the days grow longer, something remarkable begins at Anderson Humane Wildlife Center—baby season. From early March through late summer, our nursery fills with the sounds of chirping, rustling, and tiny cries for help as we care for thousands of orphaned wild animals.
But we can’t do it without you. Your support keeps our incubators warm, our formula shelves stocked, and our babies on the road to recovery and release. Whether you donate, volunteer, or simply spread the word, you are part of every wild rescue.
By season’s end, we’ll have rehabilitated:
- 350 Eastern Gray Squirrels – playful, curious climbers
- 800 Eastern Cottontail Rabbits – fragile, fast-growing fluffballs
- 400 Mallard Ducklings – splashy, sociable swimmers
- 200 Songbirds – from robins to finches, each with unique diets
- 300 Virginia Opossums – tiny pink noses in big family groups
- 100 Raccoons – clever, complex, and full of personality
- …and dozens more, including chipmunks, woodpeckers, doves, and groundhogs
Why So Many Orphans?
Most of these babies are separated from their families due to human activity: yard work that disturbs hidden nests, pets that injure wildlife, or people unintentionally rescuing animals that aren’t truly in danger. That’s why we urge everyone: always call before you intervene. Sometimes the best thing you can do is leave them wild. But when intervention is necessary—when a baby truly is orphaned, cold, dehydrated, injured, or in danger—we’re here.
Our Team Works Around the Clock
From feedings every 15 minutes to emergency medical care, baby season is intense. Each species needs specialized support:
- Squirrels need formula, housing with peers, and time in outdoor enclosures to build survival skills.
- Rabbits are sensitive and must be handled carefully to reduce stress and prevent injury.
- Ducklings require warmth, clean water, and to be raised in groups to avoid imprinting on humans.
- Songbirds need frequent feedings and exact diets tailored to their species.
- Opossums arrive in large litters, often after mom is hit by a car—they cling to life and each other.
- Raccoons are one of the most complex—they need bottle-feeding, social bonding with other raccoons, and months of enrichment before release.
The Cost of Compassion
Raising wildlife is not just hard work—it’s expensive. Between species-specific formula, medication, heating pads, enclosures, and staffing, the costs add up quickly.
On average, it costs:
- $70 per rabbit
- $212 per squirrel
- $42 per duckling
- $100 per songbird
- $287 per opossum
- $494 per raccoon
Multiply that by thousands, and you can see how quickly the need grows.
How You Can Help
Your support makes every rescue possible. During baby season, we rely on the generosity of people like you to keep our nursery stocked, our incubators warm, and our animal patients thriving.
This baby season, you can:
- Donate to sponsor a wild baby’s care (DP FORM: https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/anderson-humane-center/wildlife)
- Shop our Wishlist for formula, bedding, and supplies
- Become a monthly supporter to keep our work going year-round
- Volunteer to help with cleaning, food prep, or even feedings (with training)
- Spread the word—educate friends and neighbors about when wild babies truly need help (Link to social site???)
A Wild Future, Thanks to You
Every time we release a baby back to the wild—whether it’s a duck paddling away, a squirrel racing up a tree, or a raccoon vanishing into the woods—it’s because you made it possible. Your generosity, compassion, and advocacy fuel everything we do.
Baby season is exhausting, inspiring, and beautiful. Together, we’re giving every tiny life the wild future it deserves.