Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island

06/21/2025

🌟 Volunteer Spotlight: Ashleigh 🌟

Meet Ashleigh, one of our amazing volunteers whose passion and curiosity make every shift brighter!

When did you start volunteering?
Ashleigh joined us in November 2022, and she’s been a steady source of kindness and care ever since.

How it started:
After finding orphaned baby squirrels, Ashleigh was inspired by a local rehabber. Years later, a client mentioned our clinic—and she signed up right away!

Favorite part: “There’s always something to learn—and I love that every animal has a unique personality.”

Favorite animal?
“I can’t choose! The variety is what I love most. Pigeons and opossums surprised me with how much personality they have—but really, they all do. ”

Thank you, Ashleigh, for your dedication, heart ,and all the care you bring to every shift!

If you are interested in joining our volunteer team, please reach out to our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator Olivia, [email protected] 

06/20/2025

🌿 Yesterday, our Board of Directors gathered for a special retreat to begin shaping our 2026–2028 strategic plan, a meaningful day of reflection, conversation, and visioning the future of wildlife care in our state.

We’re deeply grateful to everyone who’s helped bring us to this moment, from those who shared insights during focus groups, to our donors and supporters who believe in our mission, and the incredible staff and volunteers who make our work possible every day. 💚

Your support is the foundation and fuel that allow us to grow, adapt, and expand our impact for the wild animals who need us most.

Thank you for being on this journey with us. We’re excited for what comes next. 🦉🦊🐢

06/14/2025

🚗🐢 Road Safety Reminder: It’s Turtle Egg-Laying Season in Rhode Island!

From late May through July, female turtles are on the move—crossing roads to find the perfect nesting spot. Sadly, many are hit by cars along the way, and injuries can be severe.

💡 Here’s how you can help:
✔️ Slow down in areas near wetlands, ponds, or nature preserves.
✔️ Be alert for turtles crossing the road—especially on warm, rainy days.
✔️ If safe to do so, help turtles cross in the direction they’re heading.
✔️ Never relocate them—they know where they’re going!
✔️ Found an injured turtle? Contact your local wildlife rehabilitator right away. Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island (401) 294-6363

🩹 Many hit-by-car turtles come to us with cracked shells and internal injuries. With care, time, and resources, many can recover and be released—but we need your help.

🙏 Donations go directly to life-saving treatments like shell repair kits, X-rays, and antibiotics.

Help us give them a second chance!

05/30/2025

Thank you, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, for taking the time to visit the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island and learn about the work being done to care for our state’s wildlife. Your visit brought meaningful recognition to the efforts of our staff, volunteers, and the vital role wildlife rehabilitation plays in protecting Rhode Island’s natural heritage.

05/29/2025

🎉 Baby season is in full swing here at the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island! 🐣 These are baby European starlings — some of the hungriest little mouths we feed! 😅

Their diet? Worms, worms… and did we mention WORMS? 🪱💥 Plus some blueberries 🫐 and a special food mix called FONS. But yeah… heavy on the worms! 😂

🐦💚

Check out riwildliferehab’s video.

05/24/2025

🌨️💨🍃Yesterday’s storm packed quite a punch — and it brought more than just heavy rain and high winds. Nor’easters during baby season are especially brutal, as the tiniest wild ones don’t have the strength or resilience their parents do to weather such extremes.

These two little fawns 🦌were among the storm’s unlucky victims — one from Lincoln, the other from Bristol. Though both were in good overall health and body condition, the relentless downpour left them hypothermic and in clear distress. Intervention became necessary.

After a night of warmth, nutrition, and gentle care, and with a credible sighting of mom for the Bristol baby, our team mobilized — heading to opposite ends of the state to attempt reunification. And we’re thrilled to share that both reunions were confirmed successful!

A hard night ended in hope — and two wild families are whole again.🐾

Your support makes reunions like this possible.

05/22/2025

Safe Sleep, Second Chances 🦝💚

As summer approaches, baby season is in full swing, and our Wildlife Clinic is bustling with tiny patients. These photos captures peaceful moments: a group of orphaned raccoons, eastern gray squirrels, and gray foxes sleeping soundly and safely under the care of our dedicated team.

So far this year, we’ve cared for over 1,375 injured and orphaned babies, each one here because something in their world went wrong. A storm. A fallen tree. A car. A parent that never came back.

As environmental pressures rise, so does the need for expert, compassionate care. Thankfully, with the opening of our new nursery space, we now have a quiet, dedicated environment for these fragile lives. But space alone isn’t enough, each animal needs time, skill, and resources.

Your support helps make this possible. Together, we’re not just saving lives, we’re building a future for wildlife in a changing world.

🌿 Thank you for being part of the solution.

05/20/2025

Quarters That Care 🐾✨
We’re thrilled to share that Roger Williams Park Zoo has chosen the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island as one of its 2025 Quarters for Conservation beneficiaries! 🙌

That means 25 cents from every zoo admission will help fund our lifesaving work for injured and orphaned native wildlife—supporting diagnostics, medicine, specialized enclosures, and the chance for over 6,000 patients a year to return to the wild. 🌿🦉🐿️

We’re incredibly grateful to the Zoo and to every guest who invests their quarters in Rhode Island’s wild future. Together, small coins = BIG impact. 💚

05/18/2025

🌟 Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Ann! 🌟
This month we are spotlighting one of our dedicated volunteers , Ann.
🗓️ Started: May 2021
🦉 Favorite Animal: Great Horned Owl
After moving to Rhode Island, Ann learned about the Wildlife Clinic from her aunt, who had brought in several injured animals over the years. Knowing Ann’s passion for wildlife and conservation, her aunt encouraged her to get involved — and we’re so glad she did!
✨ “It was one of the best decisions I’ve made. The work I do at the clinic is the most fulfilling I’ve ever done.”
Ann’s favorite part of volunteering is the chance to work with such a wide variety of species. Her hands-on experience has been both fun and invaluable as she pursues a career in exotic animal care and conservation.
We thank you, Ann, for your passion, dedication, the humor you bring to each shift , willingness to take on different tasks and the amazing work you do with our wild patients! 💚

05/17/2025

🐾It’s Fawn Season! 🦌
Every year, around Mother’s Day, we typically welcome our first fawn of the season. But before you rush to “rescue” a baby deer, let’s take a moment to talk about what’s really best for them — staying with their moms.

In the first few weeks of life, mother deer ("Does") often leave their fawns alone for long stretches of time, returning only to nurse. This is normal and necessary. Fawns are born nearly scentless and have white spots that help camouflage them while they lie motionless in tall grass or vegetation. By staying hidden and still, they avoid drawing the attention of predators.

Does also leave their babies behind because fawns are too slow and fragile to follow them safely. Staying behind actually increases the fawn’s chances of survival (mom knows where to find her baby!) — and keeps predators from being led to them.

So, what should you do if you find a fawn?

If the fawn looks healthy - LEAVE IT ALONE.
Do not touch or move it unless it is in a truly unsafe location like the middle of the road. Human scent can attract predators and disrupt the natural care the mother provides. If the baby looks healthy and is in a natural spot, the best thing to do is leave the area and allow mom to do her thing.

However, there are times when a fawn truly needs help. If you notice flies around the baby (or fly eggs or maggots), obvious wounds or injuries, the fawn has become stuck or entangled, or if its ears are curled, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately. These situations indicate intervention is likely warranted, however, always consult a wildlife rehabilitator before intervening. While we will always help where needed, we want to make sure wild babies always have the chance to be raised by wild parents.

Please, never try to raise or care for a fawn yourself. Commercially available formulas can often cause fatal diarrhea, and fawns should not be habituated to humans as that will greatly reduce their chances of long term survival.

If you come across a fawn that you think may need help, please contact the Wildlife Clinic. We are open 9am to 8pm and we're happy to assess the situation with you in real time. We can be reached at 401-294-6363.

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