wildlife babies.....

**jesebellea** · 06-25-2005, 01:25 PM

i was given advice to start a new thread about this topic,
many of us over the years have come across baby animals that we have taken in because of the parents being killed, or just not around, thought we could share some cute stories and pics with each other....
these are raccoons that i found last summer, and took care of for over a week. it took me that long to find someone to take them in and rehabilitate them, it took a lot of willpower for me to give them all up, as i desperatly wanted to keep one for myself, because i had really bonded with him,...
here is a pic of them

**jesebellea** · 06-25-2005, 01:26 PM

bad pic of me as i said before, but very cute pic of "brandon"

**jesebellea** · 06-25-2005, 01:29 PM

i wouldnt let the kids handle them, (just in case they were bit, or scratched) but they did love helping feed these guys, cause they were a lot of work to feed, there were 6 of them , and at this time i still had my youngest daughter to feed, so it seemed for 20 out of 24 hours a day, i always was feeding a baby, either raccoon or daughter....

**jesse_3** · 06-25-2005, 10:56 PM

VERY CUTE!!!!! I know how hard it is to give 'em up! Well, sorta, the baby chipmunk I took care of was attacked by a kitty and only made it for a few hours. I was so sad. Atleast the kits were alive and well with you though!
God bless you for saving them, and them letting them go to live a better life

**sandragonfly** · 06-26-2005, 11:38 AM

they're very adorable, jessbellea!

hey, welcome to pet talk, you! glad you could share here. (hope it'll be an addiction for you so you could stay here more..)

as you've seen I took take care Squacky and heck, it's hard to give him away even though I only had him for like not more than 6 hours.

those racoons are really lucky to find you. I'm sorry you had to give him (brandon) away but it was for his best. have you hear anything new yet about releasing them into wilderness ever? I haven't with my squacky...yet!!

**DogLover9501** · 06-26-2005, 12:38 PM

Awwww-Adorable!!

**jesebellea** · 06-26-2005, 12:57 PM

i did keep in touch with the woman that trained them, and she had told me that she had 5 out of the 6 all trained to take care of themselves, and they were released and they were all happy at that time, only one of them did die, but he was the aggressive one out of the bunch, and i guess it was too much for him after losing mama, and then being caught by us, and then being taken to her,
they were released out by a conservation area, so hopefully everything is goin well for them, and they are still doin fine,

**manda_moo87** · 06-26-2005, 04:12 PM

Oh my goodness, they are so precious!!

**sandragonfly** · 06-27-2005, 03:20 PM

sorry to hear one didn't make it.

it's always too sad for me. but very glad five (that's most of them!) made it out.

I can't stop looking at those precious pictures. can't believe they were so small. I don't think I've ever seen smaller than an adult racoon before.

and I just forgot,...realized that racoons are my father's favorite animal! thanks again for sharing!!

hope you'd pop around more about wildlife stories and your domestic babies if you have.

**luckies4me** · 06-27-2005, 04:27 PM

Very cute, and welcome to Pet Talk. I am currently bottle feeding a squirrel, soon to go to the Wildlife Center in a few days. He's doing very well. He loves sucking on his own feet and toes, which just cracks me up. His eyes will be opening soon. I'll try to get some pictures today if I can.

**jesebellea** · 06-28-2005, 07:29 AM

it is unbelievable how much work bottle feeding animals can be, i have always been one to want to keep animals i find, and in the past my parent would make me give them up, so when i got the raccoons i was so excited, the first thing i did was jump up and down and basically cheer that i would finally have a pet raccoon, my dad was there, he was laughing at me, cause i was actting like a little kid, but then i really started to think about the pros and cons, and after feeding them for a week, and thinking about keeping one, and having him stuck in a cage, well it didnt sit right with me, it would have been different if there was no where for them all to go, or if one of them wasnt healthy, but after all that work, i figured i couldnt keep up with the care of them, especially the fact, that raccoons nurse from their moms for like four months, i didnt know that until then, that is forever to bottle feed
the lady that takes in wildlife, she has her hands full, i had volunteered to help her as soon as i can make some time, last summer when i was there last, she had 24 baby raccoons, 4 baby rabbits, 2 baby squirrels, and 2 baby skunks, and she was taking care of them on her own,
i told her i may be interested in becoming her apprentice, to get a rehabilitation license, that is something i would like to do, once i get my youngest into school,
that way i can be around the animals and enjoy them, but they will still have their freedom once they have grown,
seems i am babbling, oops