Wildlife Center of Long Island

Good luck, little one! 🐢💚

This young Eastern Box Turtle arrived at our center last fall with an injury to the underside of his shell. After nine months of dedicated care and rehabilitation, he finally made a full recovery and was ready to return home.

Eastern Box Turtles are terrestrial turtles that spend their lives in woodlands, meadows, and other natural habitats. This resilient turtle was released back where he belongs at beautiful Stillwell Woods Park in Woodbury.

Wishing him many safe years ahead in the wild!

Safe, Warm, and Growing Strong 🐰

These four young Eastern Cottontail rabbits are some of the babies currently in our care. Baby rabbits are among the most delicate wildlife patients we treat, requiring specialized care, proper nutrition, and a quiet environment to thrive. Our team is working hard to give these little ones the best chance at a successful return to the wild.

For now, they’re safe, warm, and growing stronger every day. With a little time and a lot of care, they’ll be hopping back into their natural habitat soon where they belong.

Thank you for supporting wildlife rehabilitation and the countless orphaned animals that need help each year!

This Eastern Screech Owl is currently in our care after colliding with a car in Oyster Bay. This patient sustained a serious concussion and laceration to the top of her head. Our rehabilitators are treating her injuries and providing lots of supportive care so the owl can hopefully recover and return to her home in the wild as soon as possible.

Looking for something fun to do this Memorial Day? Come to Northport Books and meet our Ambassador Mallard Duck! Ping is a 15 year-old non-releasable wild duck that is part of our education team. Meet him & learn how you can help local wildlife!

This tiny Eastern Screech Owl nestling was rescued yesterday after being found on the ground dehydrated, weak, and covered in flies. He is currently struggling to balance and is now receiving supportive care and treatment at our wildlife rehabilitation center.

We’re hoping this little owl pulls through and can either be reunited with his parents or raised in care until he’s old enough to go back to the wild on his own. 🦉💚

🍼 Baby season is here, and our nursery is already filling up with orphaned wildlife in need of around-the-clock care — including this tiny orphaned baby woodchuck who arrived at our rehabilitation center last week.

Every spring and summer, we care for hundreds of young animals that depend on specialized nutrition, warmth, & safe housing to survive and eventually return to the wild. As intake numbers continue to rise, we are urgently in need of supplies to help us care for our newest patients.

Our most-needed items right now are:
• Formula
• Mealworms
• Small fleece blankets
• Small animal carriers

If you would like to help, please consider purchasing an item from our Amazon Wish List. Every donation directly supports the animals currently in our care and helps us prepare for the busy baby season ahead. ❤️

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/ZY513QD3LBM3?ref_=wl_share

Thank you for helping us give these wild babies a second chance. 🐰🦊🪶🐿️

Check out my list on Amazon

This Canada Goose arrived in our care after he and his mate were both tragically struck by a car in Centerport last month. Sadly, his mate did not survive the impact.

Thankfully, a compassionate Good Samaritan stopped to help. Using a towel to safely contain the injured goose, they carefully transferred him into a box, brought the goose home, and called our center for help. Upon examination, the goose was found to have a mild concussion and a fractured foot.

During his recovery, this goose received pain medication, supportive care, and weekly bandage changes to maintain his splint while the fracture healed. Geese can take anywhere from 4–8 weeks to recover from fractures, depending on the severity of the injury and whether physical therapy is needed afterward.

Yesterday, after weeks of care and recovery, this resilient goose was released back home in Centerport. Geese and other wildlife are most active during the spring & summer months. Please be extra cautious and patient this time of year for wildlife crossing the road.

Keeping or reuniting wild baby animals with their moms is always the goal for wildlife rehabilitators. Last weekend, we received a call about two baby Mourning Doves that had fallen out of their nest onto the sidewalk. Unfortunately one of the babies passed away from the fall but the other baby was uninjured. Mom Mourning Dove was on the ground with both of her babies, trying her best to keep them warm and safe.

Thankfully, a very kind Good Samaritan came across the doves and reached out to us for help. The original dove nest was found in the tree above the sidewalk. The caller was able to adjust and rearrange the original nest to make it more secure for the remaining baby. The baby dove was carefully placed back in the nest while mom dove stood by and watched. Immediately after the baby dove was returned to the nest, mom flew over to her chick! This baby will now have the best chance of survival, continuing to grow up in the wild with its mom.

Today we’re sharing the story of a beautiful Yellow-crowned Night Heron who came into our care after being illegally shot with BB pellets.

The heron was discovered by a homeowner in Hewlett who noticed the bird limping in his backyard. One of our volunteers drove over an hour to capture the heron and bring it to our wildlife center. X-rays revealed multiple pellets lodged in his body, causing severe fractures to his leg and wing. Unfortunately, the injuries were too extensive to repair and the most humane option for the heron was euthanasia to prevent further suffering.

Was this heron shot because he was building a nest for his babies in someone’s yard who didn’t want him there? Or because he was an opportunist feeder and catching fish from someone’s pond? We’ll never understand the motive behind something like this. Herons are federally protected birds and intentionally harming them is illegal. Cases like this are reported to the appropriate wildlife authorities.

Please help us spread awareness. Respect wildlife, never intentionally harm an animal, and report illegal activity when you see it.