As many of you know Something Wild recently rescued three orphaned baby beavers, Wilbur, Fern and Charlotte. The kits were featured in a local news pieces highlighting the work done by the dedicated staff of the Gulf Coast Veterinary Emergency Hospital to save the kit’s lives and the amount of care it takes to rehabilitate orphaned infants.
How the babies were found
On April 15th three orphaned beaver kits were found injured in a dried-out wetland in Gautier Mississippi and brought to Something Wild. They had been surviving in a dried-out wetland cut off due to urban development, with their only access to water being from a drainage ditch that exposed them to pesticides and sewage. The kits were in critical due to severe injuries and malnutrition. Their fourth sibling did not survive the conditions and sadly passed away.
Homeowners in the are reported a high volume of cottonmouth snakes in the area. A wildlife expert investigated the area setting but cameras that showed how the beavers were cramped into such a small area with cottonmouths and otters. The parents could not be found and given how protective they are of their young and would never abandon them they were most likely killed.
Dr Muraco’s believes, based on her experience with similar injuries, that the kits had been attacked by otters. The extreme conditions had most likely led to the otters becoming desperate for food causing them to attack the babies. Interestingly when rescue the kits were sharing their lodge with a cottonmouth snake. As strange as it might sound the babies were probably saved by cottonmouth protecting the babies from the attacks of the otters and keeping them safe.
The road to recovery
The staff of Gulf Coast Veterinary Emergency Hospital were able to save the lives of the three babies but their conditions still remained uncertain for weeks while Something Wild worked to help them gain weight and pass certain milestones. Within the first week were showing that they were able to pass food through their digestive system and all of them were gaining weight by the second week.
While it is still early days, the three kits are slowly improving and currently off of antibiotics. They will received weekly visits to Gulf Coast Veterinary Emergency Hospital going forward to make sure no complications arise and the scars from their injuries are healing properly. Hopefully by next year we will be able to have the Animal Care Center set up as a specialized area that will be able to gives other critical care kits like Wilbur, Fern and Charlotte the best possible chance.
Meet Charlotte, Fern and Wilbur
The wildlife expert who found the babies requested specific names for the little ones so we would like to introduce you to Charlotte, Fern and Wilbur!
Charlotte sustains an injury to her face that resulted in a fractured jaw, which is slowly healing, and the loss of whiskers on the left side of the face. The slowest to gain weight Charlotte had been issues with the fractured jaw clamping shut while feeding on a bottle and is currently being fed with a syringe. The formula will need to be fed that way until the jaw has fully healed.
Fern was initially the worst condition having an infected eye. The eye had to be removed through surgery but the area is healing. Fern has gained weight and received a saline solution to the area of the eye 1-2 daily to ensure the stitches do not get infected along with a cone that fern is grumpy about!
Wilbur is the strongest of the three and, while dealing with an ear infection, is always acting tough to help protect Charlotte and Fern. The ear infection has greatly improved and Wilbur is now off of antibiotic with will help them be more stable.
A special thank you to Gulf Coast Veterinary Emergency Hospital, Raylen Ladner and WLOX along with all all our supporters for helping us take care of Fern, Wilbur and Charlotte.
from the Something Wild team
