Last evening I heard from Amy Hall our chalk artist at the festival that she was on standby for evacuation. This morning Napa and Sonoma are burning out of control. There are so many fires so close together they’re just calling them the lightening complex fires. The entire area from Fort Ross to the Russian River has been evacuated. Think about that for a moment. That means Monte Rio, Jenner, Guerneville, All those windy river roads. Our own volunteers Leslie and Rick and the stalwart beaver defenders Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman. They are all evacuated. At a time when it barely feels safe to stay in a hotel for fear of touching the wrong doorknob, Californian’s are left with shelters like fairgrounds and high schools. And if they escape the flames they might not escape the virus.
It’s hard to imagine what there is let to burn after the big fires in 2017. I hope our friends at Safari West are safe. I know they’re on tenterhooks.
It’s hard to remember, but before I got Amy’s email last evening I was in a state of beaver rapture because Suisun Wildlife (that also burned this year) called me after getting a tiny baby beaver patient from Vacaville. A dog apparently found and retrieved him at the off leash part of lagoon park. A friend brought him in for care on Saturday and he was subsisting on squirrel formulae while they wait for their express order of beaver formulae.
He weighs in at around 600 grams which is about 1.3 lbs and probably a few weeks old. She says 7 inches from nose to tail. Amazingly, given their location, it is the first time they have had a baby beaver in 40 years. They tried going back to the site and looking for its family, but gave up on that idea after talking with our advisor Cher Button-Dobemeir of NY. While we chatted about next steps the rehab director said to me, “Could he be any cuter? He’s just smiling all the time.”
To which I said, very reasonably, No. No they could not.
Cheryl called later and talked strategy with them and I think the plan is now to build an enclosure and at least keep him until he is big enough to hang out with the three older kits currently being rehabbed in Sonoma. He will need to be 2 years old and gave a buddy before he can be released on his own and in the meantime it’s good to know that he is in good hands.
I’m sorry that he’s spent a few strange nights alone though. We have a beaver fur coat someone donated and may try and get it to them so they can snuggle. Check your couch cushions right now and donate any spare change to Suisun Wildlife Recue Center which is talking on a pretty big job. Monique the director write me yesterday and said. cheerfully.
“I can tell you I’ve been doing this for 40 years and that is the cutest animal I have ever seen. We really appreciate your and Cheryl’s help, this is one to get right!”
To which we could only reply. Yup.
It’s a dire time. With dire things happening everywhere you are unfortunate enough to look. In addition to the police horrors and the recent spike in infections there was a fire Wednesday night in Suisun that burned the home of our friends at the Wildlife Center, Several residents didn’t survive that fire, although others were freed by volunteers and the firemen.
Blackened debris and soot-covered marshland defined the Suisun Wildlife Center Thursday, where a massive wildfire the day before had damaged outbuildings and taken the lives of three resident raptors and four gray squirrels being readied for release.
Just three volunteers were at the wildlife center when danger presented itself, and they swiftly worked to evacuate the animals. Many went home with the volunteers, while firefighters opened the outdoor cages and encouraged the creatures to leave.
