Day 5

I am slowly getting into the rhythm of things at the center. Charts are making more sense, I am remembering who gets what food, and I'm feeling slightly less lost. I still can't match any of the other interns for pace, but I'm sure that will come with time.

It has been a unique introduction to the world of wildlife rehab. I was just sort of thrown into the mix, as it is best to learn on the job, it isn't the sort of thing you learn from books.



Mostly I work in the nursery, which involves regular feeding of baby mammals and some raptors. It is a unique situation, you save both tiny mammals and creatures that live off of tiny mammals. No, they never mix, it is just a part of the controversy surrounding rehab.

Today was a particularly strange day. We lost one of our baby bobcats, and it really got to everyone. I had a (very, very ill) baby raccoon pass within a minute of me taking him out to give him fluids because he looked so dehydrated. That was especially hard because he was at least attempting solid food yesterday. It was not at all surprising, but it was still very difficult.

However, I got permission to take pictures of the otters after my shift for the website. They are my favorite animal. They are inquisitive, adorable, and a little bit feisty.

They love to run around their enclosure and wrestle with each other. We only had one before, now we have 3 new ones.

Overall, it is a very rewarding job. My boss and coworkers are awesome, and the shifts go quickly because there is so much to do.