Back to Nature Wildlife Rehabilitation

06/01/2025

Charles N. Gordon Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Inc. is looking for release sites for our raccoons. We are seeking property owners with significant swaths of wooded land where we can release rehabilitated orphaned raccoons. The property must be owned by you, be sited a distance away from your home and any dogs or people, have woods and a natural water source such as a stream, and have ample rural or wooded space for the animals to disperse. We do a "soft release" which would mean that we would place a temporary enclosure on the land (no damage to property) for a couple of weeks, to acclimate them and give them a home base until they make their way. All raccoons will be vaccinated against distemper, parvo and rabies. Please email [email protected] or [email protected] if you have a release site to offer. We work very hard all season to keep these orphans going when they have lost their mothers. When we finally get them to the finish line, can you give them their happily ever after? (P.S. If you have reached out before to offer this, please do so again now. We were not previously in a position to understand the logistics of how we might make it work. Please offer again!)

05/05/2025

Attn: Raccoon Rehabbers.

We are all always trying to learn more about these magical animals so that we may serve them better.

If you end up with a case this year where an animal dies and you don't have answers, please consider sending it for necropsy. The medical field is sadly lacking in information about raccoons, and here at Charles N. Gordon Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Inc.we are trying to start to build a collection of information about what these guys face in the wild and how we might all help: symptoms, diseases, treatments, etc.

Our work is in the early stages, but if you are in need of a necropsy, reach out to us. We have received permission to act as the required submitting veterinarian on behalf of anyone in the field desiring a necropsy. Animals from all over the country may be submitted to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, but they must be submitted by us at Gordon Wildlife. We do not charge for our role in providing this service, but you may be required to pay for the necropsy, depending on the nuances of the case.

Please contact Sarah Bookbinder at [email protected] to discuss more.

We are also trying to raise funding to help with the costs of testing, data gathering and greater research on raccoon medicine. If you would like to support us in these goals, we offer complete financial transparency and would very much welcome help in trying to move the needle forward.

We have to start somewhere. These guys deserve a better world, and we want to work towards creating it for them and for the people who care for them.

Please share to any raccoon people who might be interested. We are wishing you all a baby season of health and success, and we thank you for all you do.

05/04/2024

Our first baby of the year came to us yesterday! He is a little red squirrel. With the anticipation of more babies coming in and hopefully this guy staying with us until he is 12 weeks old, I am sharing our Amazon wishlist.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/9YEK867A7NN1?ref_=wl_share

04/20/2024

Let's talk for a minute about fox kits. Fox kits are born March/April and soon will begin to emerge from their dens. People will begin seeing them and think they are abandoned and that is usually not the case. Fox kits will begin playing outside of the den. Parents will leave for longer periods of time – out hunting for food. If the kits seem playful and full of energy, leave them alone.

It is important that we keep our distance. We can certainly observe but we have to stay back. Don’t feed them, NO contact, etc.. It is important for kits to have a fear of humans for their safety.

Both parents raise the young so if one parent is found dead, the other parent will continue raising the young. The only time we would need to intervene is if it is a nursing mom who is killed.

What other times might they need help?
If they are hit by a car.
If they are having trouble breathing, shivering, or in shock.
Bleeding
Broken bones
Crying endlessly
Seeking out humans (looking for food)
Appear lifeless, non-responsive, maggots present or eggs (look like white rice).

If you are concerned, call me. We (all rehabilitators) are happy to take calls from people seeking guidance. If you are unsure and you feel concerned, call.

10/07/2023

I didn’t think I would use the incubator until spring. My cat brought this little one to the door today. I thought there was no way she would make it. After a few hours of monitoring she was released. She must have been in shock and luckily didn’t have any injuries.

10/03/2023

We got the incubator!!! Thank you so much to everyone who donated and Baby Warm for making this possible!
Megan Marolf, Crystal Seymour, Joanne Dumers, Theresa Kempney, Cassandra Burns, Hope Dobranski, Cara Walters, Andrea Amyot, Robert Gardner, Jenn Berrigan Quilty-Koval, Melissa Hartman, Sierra Kempney, Walter Gaworecki, and Dawn Robinson

09/21/2023

Baby Moose and two of his crazy sisters

09/17/2023

With cooler weather and shorter days approaching, bears across New York State are increasing the amount of food they consume in hopes of building their fat reserves for winter. For much of the state, consistent rains have helped produce plenty of natural fall foods for bears. In New York, late summer and early fall bears eat assorted berries, jewelweed, choke cherries, black cherries, wild apples, beechnuts and acorns. That being said, bears will also take advantage of human derived food sources, such as trash, bird feeders, and pet food left outside. It’s important to remove or secure these items to avoid conflicts and successfully coexist with New York’s robust black bear population.

For more information, visit DEC’s webpage on how to live responsibly with black bears: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6995.html and https://bearwise.org/

09/17/2023

My biggest helpers and me supporting our favorite RVS rehab! Mission Mayhem Wildlife Rehabilitation Megan Marolf

09/15/2023

Orphaned baby rabbits have less than a ten percent chance of survival. These guys came to me yesterday. Their nest was destroyed the day before. The rescuer followed protocol and fixed up the nest as much as possible, kept the babies in it, and waited overnight for mom to return. Sadly, she did not, so I took them in. They were terrified. Today, they are a little more relaxed, drinking milk replacer and eating clover. They will need lots of luck, and I will do my best. Fellow rehabbers- any bunny advice is welcomed.

09/13/2023

Last week I took in five orphaned squirrels. Unfortunately, I lost one and almost lost another. The second one pulled through with help from Cornell Wildlife Hospital and A&G Wildlife Rehabilitation. The vets at Cornell are amazing and called medication into kinney drugs for me to pick up. Ashley let me borrow her incubator, which I believe had a huge impact on the baby’s survival. Thank you!

09/09/2023

It is very important to keep orphaned wildlife warm. Without a warm environment, the baby will become sick or die. Temporary heat sources, like warming pads or lamps, are unreliable and dangerous. I wonder if some of the babies I have lost in the past would have pulled through if they were in an incubator. As many of you know, wildlife rehabilitation is entirely volunteer and funded by the rehabber and if lucky, donations. I came across a not-for-profit organization who helps raise money for incubators. Your donation will go directly toward an incubator for my rehab. Any small amount will help! The babies and I would be very grateful!

I have always loved helping animals. After high school, I obtained my Veterinary Technician license and worked as a vet tech for about 10 years with domestic pets. I always wanted to work with wildlife and/or exotics but did not have the opportunity. Due to many different circumstances, my field of....