The Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital at Cornell University

07/29/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Cindy Hopf-Dennis on her recent publication in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association! An outstanding surgeon who has repaired countless wild bird fractures, she shares her expert recommendations for early postoperative management of wing fractures in this open-access Technical Tutorial Video.

https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/aop/javma.25.04.0277/javma.25.04.0277.xml

07/19/2025

Fishing gear is a common cause of injury and entanglement in wildlife. In addition to caring for your own equipment properly, if you find monofilament line or other fishing equipment, please pick it up and recycle appropriately. And of course, keep an eye out for any wild animals that may affected and contact your local wildlife rehabilitator if you find an animal in need. Many of the animals that we see at the Swanson Wildlife Hospital require surgery and other extensive veterinary care due to the severity of their injuries.

07/11/2025

Grateful to for highlighting our work! Here are some more photos from that busy June day...

https://tompkinsweekly.com/articles/cornell-wildlife-hospital/

07/02/2025

Phew! We closed out June with this coyote pup and a total of 426 wild animals that visited the Swanson Wildlife Hospital for veterinary care. Ready for July!

06/16/2025

Just a few of the 122 patients that we admitted to the Swanson Wildlife Hospital this past week. Bring on week 3 of June, our busiest month every year!

06/08/2025

Wish we could say were taking a nice long snack break over this past month, but we have barely had time for snacks! In this busy time of year, all of our energy is internally focused on caring for our many hospitalized and incoming patients. In the month of May, we saw 353 wild animal patients, and have admitted 99 just in the first week of June! Stay tuned for some glimpses into our busy summer days at the Swanson Wildlife Hospital...

05/11/2025

Happy Mother's Day, to all of the mothers and motherly figures (animal and human) who nurture and protect. 🌼

05/06/2025

Turtles are on the move again now that temperatures in the northeast are warming, so keep an eye out on for them on or near roads. If you decide to help one across, keep it going in the same direction it was headed (and be extra careful if it is a snapping turtle!).

If you do find one that has been injured, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator so that it can receive the care it needs.

05/01/2025

Sometimes our work extends outside of the hospital walls. Kate Alexy, DVM'26 recently participated in fieldwork as part of our collaborative research investigating the health of migrating sharp-shinned hawks. Fresh spring air, wildlife health research, and hands-on experience with native raptor species - a marvelous combo!

📷

04/22/2025

04/16/2025

An INCREDIBLE journey...

It is difficult to fathom what this young red-tailed hawk went through over the last several months, and even more unbelievable that he has made it to the point of release.

This young hawk was hit by a semi-truck on a busy highway in Iowa in November of 2024. He was stuck in the grill, and the truck continued to drive approximately 80 miles before pulling into a rest stop. The driver removed the hawk and tossed it aside on the ground. This event was witnessed by a another (kind-hearted) truck driver, who rescued the hawk and put it in his cab, with the plan of getting the hawk to a wildlife rehabilitator that he knew in New York. Making a quick detour to California on the way, hawk and driver made their way back to central New York and Woodhaven Wildlife Center. Recognizing the serious injury to the hawk, it was brought to us at the Swanson Wildlife Hospital.

The hawk, now nicknamed "Iowa", had a fracture in his right leg. Since it had happened several days prior and had not been stabilized, it was a difficult surgical repair. After surgery, physical therapy, laser therapy, and battling a foot infection over almost 4 months, "Iowa" was finally transferred to a few weeks ago for rehabilitation and conditioning. We are overjoyed to hear that he is now ready for freedom!

Follow Finger Lakes Raptor Center, Inc. on Facebook and Instagram to see more about his release!

04/15/2025

It's that time of year when baby eastern cottontails are everywhere! Here are some reminders to help minimize disturbances:

1. Check before you mow or garden. Their nests are shallow depressions in the ground under grasses and fur. If you find one, minimize activity around the area until the babies are out of the nest at 3-4 weeks of age. 🌾

2. Don't expect to see the mother in or at the nest - she only returns near dusk and dawn to feed them.🐰

3. Keep pets inside or on a leash if you have a nest in your yard.🐱🐶

If do you find one that is injured, put it in a container in a warm quiet location, do not try to feed it, and immediately contact your local wildlife rehabilitator so it can get the specialized help it needs.