Bay Area sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates sick, orphaned and injured animals

ODESSA, Fla. - Spring may be coming to a close and summer is right around the corner, but baby animal season isn’t wrapping up anytime soon in Florida and one sanctuary is on a mission to take care of the little critters who can’t make it on their own. 

The Owls Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife is a rescue and rehabilitation center in Odessa for sick, orphaned or injured animals. It takes in a variety of wildlife that includes wild birds, wild mammals and even reptiles. 

Baby animal season, which is when wild animals typically breed the most due to weather, begins in mid to late February and continues into parts of the summer in Florida. 

Currently, the Owls Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife has a variety of orphaned or sick babies in need of care.

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Kris Porter, founder of Owls Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife gave FOX 13 a tour of the rescue center to show off the amazing Florida wildlife babies they are currently rehabilitating. 

Right now, this includes a variety of baby birds like Sandhill Crane chicks, baby owls, and baby woodpeckers along with many types of songbirds. On the mammal side, it has everything from baby deer, baby bats, baby bobcats and even an adorable baby beaver who was rescued after someone busted up a beaver dam and all the baby beavers washed downstream. 

"Our bird room we are currently experiencing a lot of baby birds that find themselves in bad situations. We try our best to keep all the birds with the parents. We end up doing lots of education this time of year on the do's and don'ts of what to do with baby animals," stated Porter. 

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Porter also says if you happen to find a baby bird on the ground, and it's not injured, the best thing to do is leave it alone and not interfere unless needed.

This time of year the sanctuary also sees a lot of fawns.

"Mom stashes them in places like behind your pool pumps, behind your AC, sometimes right up against your screen. They are not capable of keeping up with mom, especially in this heat for the first two days, so she will stash them in backyards and people should not even approach them," Porter said.  

LINK: For more information on what to do if you come across any sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife visit www.owlsnestsanctuaryforwildlife.com.