STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — There’s a call out for volunteers at one of the largest wildlife care facilities in our region.
A majestic barn owl named Soren sits peacefully inside the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Stroudsburg.
Behind him are more than a dozen temperature-regulated tanks, soon to be filled with babies like squirrels, raccoons, and skunks.
The animals will come in by the thousands during baby season. Co-executive Director Janine Tancredi says they need help to prepare.
“A lot more hands. Like, hundreds of hands.”
A lot goes into volunteering, especially during their busy season starting in March. Handling young animals at the facility isn’t just cuddling a cute animal.
“It’s really important to understand that this isn’t just playing with babies, this is their life. If they’re not fed, they’re not surviving,” says Susan Downing.
Feeding alone happens multiple times a day.
“It’s specific to that particular species. They’re weighed before each feeding so that determines how much formula they get, and then it’s given in a syringe with either a nipple attached or a tube attached,” says Tancredi.
Volunteers will take part in cleaning cages, and laundry. All in a day’s work to handle the many different species that are cared for at the center.
They’re looking for not just your time, but passion.
“If we have four or five volunteers calling off in one day, then there are four or five people less on schedule that we thought would be here and then the animals are suffering because of it. It’s very, very time-consuming. It takes hours just to get through one feeding in a day.”
If you can’t volunteer, Downing says it’s important to learn about misconceptions. Like not touching a baby bird to save it.
“If you see the nest, and you can get to the nest and the baby bird, put the baby bird back in the nest. The mom will still be the mom of it. They’re not going to abandon it, that’s actually not true.”
When in doubt, leave it to the professionals to help.
If you’d like to volunteer or donate to the pocono wildlife rehabilitation and education center.. you can head to their website.
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