SWVAWildlifeCenter 1-540-798-9836

Whoever did this likely fired their gun on purpose, either with the intent to kill, haze, or simply did so out of a misplaced sense of “fun” — the act is appalling. How could you see such a bird and immediately grab your gun? In moments like this we feel ashamed of being human.

How can we NOT be tired of this, when we’ve ended /started the year with two cases back to back with a symbol of America getting shot? There is little to nothing you can mistake an eagle for — even in their immature state they are impressive birds that don’t look like much else.

This is getting absurd — the New Year’s Eve #BaldEagle was stable enough to be x-rayed after a few days of being too critical to put under anesthesia safely. We’re ready to share our rage — just like the eagle we received on Christmas Eve, this #eagle WAS ALSO SHOT (thread)

#CoopersHawk loose in your local #Kroger? It's more likely than you think. Safe Haven Avian Group caught the #hawk and we took it from there to make sure the #bird was okay -- she had high lead poisoning! But after treatment, we sent that bird back on her way!

🙏 THIS GIRL COULD *REALLY* USE SOME GOOD VIBES! 🙏 This #bobcat #kitten was found in #virginia weakly dragging herself along the side of the road as cars passed her by and ignored her plight. You can read her full story and how YOU can help here: fb.watch/nZeb4JM-8L/

Pile up on I-81! Traffic is going to be slow northbound as we work on this batty collision of Big Brown Bats. They're taking their time merging to clear traffic because it's warm and cozy on the road but we're using mealworms to lure them out of their hiding place.

The Virginia Opossums are here again! We haven't even finished releasing our almost ready to go opossums but new ones keep piling in again! Our interns are having a great time getting hands on experience learning how to intake, examine, and tube feed these precious babies.

You may not know this #bird because it doesn't come to feeders and is a rare admission — this is an #EasternWoodPewee! Wood-Pewee is a term that describes their habitat and sound — they are a woodland bird that makes a distinct loud PEE-a-WEEEEeeee song.

A tiny pixie! It is easy to understand why people believed in fairies when you hold a young #hummingbird — this #rubythroatedhummingbird had a broken leg which is healing. #Hummingbirds are only found in the Americas, but the oldest known hummingbird fossil was found in Germany.

You probably wouldn't call this #bird indigo, but that is her name! This is a female #IndigoBunting, who may be drabber than her brilliant male counterpart, but she sports a dusting of blue on her shoulders / top of her head if you look close. She came in after she hit a window.

A dusk departure for a recent batch of #VirginiaOpossums we have raised since infancy! We rehab hundreds upon hundreds of #opossums every year — we make it look easy but it takes a lot of work to get these guys happy and healthy back on the landscape. #wildlife

This #Opossum was released after 2 months in rehab. We return hundreds of #VirginiaOpossums that wouldn't have made it otherwise + that is what makes our work worth it. You're part of the story too; it is YOUR donations that make it happen! You can help at swvawildlifecenter.org/make-a-donatio…

Sssssnakey Saturday! This thirsty #EasternRatsnake (who was caught in netting and injured) took no time at all lapping up water after her terrifying ordeal of constriction in a flimsy mesh fence. Check out those #snake sips!

Ready for a #feelgood Friday? One of our interns was at the @krogerco picking up #veggies for our #wildlife patients when another customer offered to pay the entire haul after finding out who she was buying them for! Thank you mystery man for being so kind and helping wildlife!

Intern Jay and staff Casey worked together to catch and medicate this #CanadaGoose recovering from a leg injury after her leg was badly injured from being tangled in fishing line. Fishing line impacts not just geese, but owls, mammals, and turtles too. Clean up after yourself!

Little king, tell me what is your decree? There is no ruler with more of an iron fist than the #EasternKingbird — and this isn’t a joke, their scientific name “Tyrannus tyrannus” literally is “tyrannical ruler” not once, but twice! This orphaned baby is being raised by us.

Happy #FourthofJuly from Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of #Roanokeva! Stay safe today and keep an eye out the next few days for #wildlife displaced by fireworks and human activity. Call us at 540-798-9836, you can also find info on what to do here: swvawildlifecenter.org/rescue/ 🦅