LIMINGTON, Maine — Spring has officially sprung which means wildlife rehabilitation centers around the state are being inundated with injured, orphaned, or abandoned baby animals.
That includes Saco River Wildlife Center in Limington.
Saco River’s founder and director, Bethany Brown, has been running the center out of her basement 24/7 since 2015. The center has seen everything from albino porcupines, foxes, fishers, raccoons, and more come through its doors to be nursed back to health and eventually released back into the wild.
This time of year, Brown and her team of volunteers see plenty of babies, which means around-the-clock feedings.
"In my personal opinion, every animal deserves a shot at life. And most of the time, it’s humans causing the reasons for them to be here." Brown said.
If you come upon wildlife you believe has been injured, orphaned, or abandoned this spring, Brown said to immediately call the closest wildlife rehabilitation center in your area. She said you should never try to move the animals on your own, especially if they are babies because the mother might be in the area.
The work Brown and her team does is extremely important to our ecosystems. There are only a handful of licensed, wildlife rehabilitation centers around the entire state, and Brown said the numbers keep shrinking.
"In the last five years we’ve lost a lot of our long-term, experienced rehabbers," Brown said. "As people get older, it’s harder to do this. And we just don’t have as many as we used to."
Brown believes education about what she and other rehabbers do is key, and the more people know, the more animals they can save.
"People automatically go to killing or relocating the animals, which is really sad," Brown said. "There are so many different opportunities to learn how to coexist with animals and appreciate them and enjoy them."
To learn more about Saco River Wildlife Center and its mission, click here.