Real Rescues – WRSOS | Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan

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Don’t touch me with bare hands! 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♂️🙅

#DYK - raccoons carry a type of roundworm that can be fatal to humans! The eggs of the parasite can attach themselves to a raccoon’s fur and can be passed on to humans when handled. This parasite is harmless to the raccoons themselves but this is one reason why we recommend you never handle wildlife with bare hands!

Raccoons are also considered to be rabies vector species - but while that doesn’t mean ALL raccoons have rabies, just know there is a risk when handling these animals. We have trained and vaccinated volunteers who can handle these guys safely, so be sure to call us if you encounter an injured or orphaned raccoon!

Credit to the awesome R.J.M Photography for this picture of a cute baby raccoon she helped rehab! 🥰

Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️ #wildlife #animals #rescue #saskatchewan #nonprofit

Check out this neat critter that was called in to

Check out this neat critter that was called in to our hotline! 😲

This little thing is a baby brown anole (Anolis sagrei). These are native to Cuba and the Bahamas, but have become a common invasive in Florida and are happy to inhabit tropical plant nurseries. They lay eggs in the soil in the plant pots, and then those plants are shipped to green houses across North America.

Unsuspecting plant buyers bring these home where the eggs will hatch and they suddenly have a fast and jumpy little lizard running around their house. These are not native animals, and should not just be put outside even though the risk of establishing a population in Saskatchewan is essentially zero.

If you ever encounter one of these little guys, please give our hotline a call - we have a couple of awesome people in SK who are equipped to handle them! 🤩

Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️ #wildlife #animals #rescue #nonprofit #saskatchewan

Happy International Owl Awareness Day! 🥳🦉 # $Happy International Owl Awareness Day! 🥳🦉 #DYK we have 11 species of owl that live in Saskatchewan? Our hotline receives many owl-related calls each year - we had 135 Great Horned Owl calls last year alone! We have a lovely story about an owl to celebrate Owl Awareness Day! A coworker of our volunteer Samantha found this guy on a quiet grid road south of Swift Current. Samantha and her coworker caught this beauty pretty fast as he couldn’t fly. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a ride for him for a couple days so he hung out with Samantha (we are often looking for transport volunteers so check out our website for more details on how you can help!) Samantha was able to feed him a little bit of chicken under the direction of rehabber Megan. A close friend of Samatha’s then drove out to Moose Jaw a couple days later to deliver the owl to Megan. This beautiful guy went for surgery for a fractured humerus bone and is now recovering! 🥰 Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️ #wildlife #animals #nonprofit #saskatchewan #rescue$

#DYK - All bats found in Saskatchewan are insect-e

#DYK - All bats found in Saskatchewan are insect-eating and can eat 30-50% of their weight in insects! 🦇

Bats are very gentle creatures and are not blind or blood-sucking. They are actually very clean and even groom themselves regularly. You are even more likely to contract rabies from a cat or dog than from a bat!

We should actually really appreciate bats - they are amazing insect eaters and will keep those pesky mosquitoes and bugs out of your yard for free! Instead of using harmful insecticides, let nature do the work for you! 😊

To keep bats in your yard - try setting up a bat house. Place one of these houses in direct sunlight and near a water source to keep the bats warm and hydrated!

Our friends at Bats Conservation International have a lot of wonderful resources on how you can help bats and even build your own bat house - http://www.batcon.org/resources/getting-involved/bat-houses

If you ever encounter a bat that is grounded or seems to be ill or injured, please contact our hotline at 306-242-7177 for advice! ☎️

Another great photo by our volunteer Susan! #wildlife #animals #rescue #nonprofit #saskatchewan

Another great #RealRescue story! Earlier this yea

Another great #RealRescue story!

Earlier this year, we received a call on our hotline that a little grounded bat needed help - so our awesome volunteer Alex and summer intern Tina went out to rescue it! 🦇

This was Alex's first ever bat rescue as she had just recently got her rabies vaccination. Tina was new to WRSOS so Alex showed her the ropes on what to do! 🤓

If you ever see a grounded bat, please do not touch it and immediately give our hotline a call at 306-242-7177! ☎️ #animals #rescue #nonprofit #wildlife #saskatchewan

Reminder: if you see a baby hare, please leave it

Reminder: if you see a baby hare, please leave it there!

Hares are in their 3rd round of babies so we are starting to see baby bunnies popping up across SK again. If you see a baby hare that does not look injured, then please leave it where you found it (unless it is in imminent danger!)

Mother hares typically stay away from their babies as to not attract predators. Baby hares are born without a scent and the mother will come back to feed the babies when it is safe!

We receive many calls about “orphaned” baby hares - but it’s typically a case of accidental kidnapping! Please leave these little cuties where they are - unless they have to be moved to a safer area, in that case, you can pick up the baby and relocate it near where you originally found it. Mother hares will NOT reject their young if they smell a human scent on them - that’s a myth!

Please don’t be a kidnapper - leave these babies in the wild!

Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️ #wildlife #animals #rescue #saskatchewan #nonprofit

Letting go can be hard - but it’s usually for th

Letting go can be hard - but it’s usually for the best! 😊

We receive THOUSANDS of calls every year about wildlife and our rehabbers and vets help hundreds of these animals. However, we also lose many animals and it is a very unfortunate reality that our volunteers, rehabbers, and vets have to deal with on a daily basis. Animals may die due to their injuries or have to be euthanized if they are suffering. While this is very sad, we know this is a big part of our work and we are just grateful to be able to give these animal some comfort in the end. 🥺

Even after an animal is rehabbed, we still have to return it to the wild. The wild is a very harsh and difficult place for all creatures so it is a real possibility that an animal can die soon after we release it. Because of this cruel reality, we know it’s important that we let go and keep moving forward. If we dwell on the ones we lose or what happens after an animal returns to the wild, it would be too difficult for us to carry on our important work.

We also know that you might want an update on an animal that you helped rescue but it may not always be for the best. Please know that many of these rescues have sad endings but do not let that stop you from helping wildlife in need! Though there are many negatives to the work we do, we have to stay positive. We ask that you try to avoid contacting us for updates on these animals. We deal with hundreds of animals every year and it is difficult for us to track and provide updates on every single one. Just know that we have done our very best to help the animal and be happy that it received the care and comfort it needed thanks to your assistance. 😇

Thank you to all of our amazing callers, volunteers, rehabbers and vets for helping us keep Saskatchewan’s wildlife wild❣️

Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️

WILDLIFE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE KEPT AS PETS! 😡 T

WILDLIFE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE KEPT AS PETS! 😡

This week has been incredibly frustrating for all of us at WRSOS. We have received MULTIPLE calls about wildlife being kept as pets. People think these creatures are cute and cuddly – until they get too big or difficult to handle.

No matter how “good” the intentions are, a wild animal should always be left in the wild unless it needs assistance. If an animal is orphaned, injured or somehow needs assistance, please contact our hotline or a rehabber IMMEDIATELY! ☎️

Swipe through the pictures!

Moose - We received a call on our hotline from a Conservation Officer (CO) in Prince Albert who was looking for assistance. The RCMP had reported that a person had found a moose calf after the mother was killed by a car. The CO wanted our help in seizing and transporting the calf - so our amazing new volunteer Wendy went with him. The person had the poor calf padlocked in a room in his house. The little calf was very malnourished but should do okay now that she is safely at Healing Haven in Dorintosh!

Raccoons - These little raccoon babies were kept by someone for TWO MONTHS! They eventually called our hotline when the babies start to show some aggression.

Badger - This little badger was found near its dead mother along a road. It was so small that it still had its eyes closed when the caller found it! Instead of calling us, the caller kept the badger for almost THREE MONTHS! Now it is with a rehabber and we hope it will be able to be returned to the wild.

Turkey vulture - This turkey vulture was found dumped on the side of a road with a badly broken wing. We believe it was kept by someone for some time and the injury was at least a week old. As no one contacted us or took the vulture in to a vet, it sadly had to be euthanized as the injury was left too long. Very tragic and unnecessary!

We receive so many of these types of calls – many with tragic endings where the animal dies from improper care or has to be euthanized. 🥺

Please help us by keeping Saskatchewan’s wildlife WILD!

We had an incredibly busy 2019-20 year – and 202

We had an incredibly busy 2019-20 year – and 2020-21 is shaping up to being even busier! Click through the pictures to check out our stats. 😲

WRSOS is a non-profit organization that provides the essential Wildlife 911 Hotline in Saskatchewan. We require support from individuals and businesses to keep our services running. For ways to help, please visit wrsos.org!

Thank you for helping us keep Saskatchewan’s wildlife wild! ❤️ #wildlife #animals #nonprofit #saskatchewan

Sometimes too much help can be a bad thing. Every

Sometimes too much help can be a bad thing. Every year, people try to “help” animals by taking them in and thinking they can raise them like a pet. As well intentioned you may be, please never take in a wild animal. Not only may it be illegal but animals are very sensitive and need specific care.

That is why we work with professional rehabbers - they are not only licensed but have years of experience and knowledge working with animals. They will be able to give the animal their best chance to survive and hopefully allow them to be returned to the wild.

We see many heartbreaking stories where people think they can rehab an animal themselves just because they think Google holds all the answers! We see so many animals that suffer and perish at the hands of these humans. It is truly heartbreaking and frustrating because if these animals were brought to a rehabber they may have survived! 😔

If you see a person who needs medical attention - what do you do? Take them home, give them food and Google how to save their lives? No! You seek immediate medical assistance! Please do the same for our animal friends. Call our hotline or a rehabber immediately if you find an animal who needs help!

Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️ #wildlife #nonprofit #rescue #animals #saskatchewan

#DYK - our volunteers typically purchase and provi

#DYK - our volunteers typically purchase and provide all of their own supplies for rescues? 😲

So those amazing #RealRescue stories would not be possible without the generosity of our volunteers who not only donate their time but also pay for their own gas and purchase all the proper equipment to safely handle and transport wildlife in need!

It is our dream to be able to supply all of our rescue volunteers with rescue kits so they don’t have to make these purchases out of pocket. That’s why we are in search of several items:

- Gently used pet crates (any size, both hard and soft sided crates needed);
- New welding gloves and cut resistant gloves;
- New or good condition nets;
- Ladders;
- Rubbermaid totes.

We have volunteers located across the province and can accept any of these items in numerous locations! 🤩

If you are willing to donate any of these items, please message us or send us an email at info@wrsos.org!

Thank you for helping keep Saskatchewan’s wildlife wild! ❤️ #animals #wildlife #rescue #nonprofit #saskatchewan

If you find an animal in distress, please do not f

If you find an animal in distress, please do not feed it! ❌

As well intended as you may be, if an animal needs help - please call our hotline immediately. There are often issues that might not be immediately visible that need to dealt with before the animal should eat.

Wild animals can also be sensitive - they typically eat rather specific diets so feeding them inappropriately can cause lasting or even fatal damage.
Unless specifically instructed by our volunteers, a vet or a licensed rehabber never feed a wild animal!

Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️ #wildlife #animals #Saskatchewan #nonprofit #rescue

We have a really amazing coyote pup rescue story t

We have a really amazing coyote pup rescue story to share today! 😍
Our caller Justin was on a multi-day raft trip down the Red Deer and South Saskatchewan Rivers when he heard a commotion coming from somewhere along the shoreline. He said it sounded like a dog fight so he parked his raft and hiked up to a higher elevation to investigate. However, he wasn’t able to see anything so he went back to his raft to go fishing.
While he was fishing, he heard something in the water squeak - and that’s when he saw some sort of animal swimming in the river! It’s nose was barely above the water and the water was so dark and murky that Justin couldn’t initially tell what kind of animal it was.
Justin tried to reach for the animal but ended up falling in the freezing cold water as well. Luckily, Justin was somehow able to locate the animal - a coyote pup! - in the water AND catch his raft before it floated away for good!
Unfortunately, when Justin brought the animal back to his raft, the little coyote pup was unconscious and didn’t seem to be breathing. The pup was lucky yet again as Justin had experience with CPR and was able to do a modified Heimlich manoeuvre by pushing on its belly. After a few pushes, water squirted out of the coyote’s nose and he was breathing again!
As Justin was rafting and had limited service over the next 10 or so days, he kept the coyote with him and cared for him the entire time! Justin ended up naming the little guy YipYip and took really good care of him throughout the trip. Eventually, Justin was able to find a place where he could get service and call his wife for advice. Initially, they contacted organizations in Ontario and Manitoba, before they connected with the Swift Current SPCA who got him in touch with us!
Our amazing volunteer Samantha in Swift Current helped coordinate the transfer and now YipYip is with our wonderful rehabber Melanie. He will be taken care of until he is old enough to be returned to the wild! If it wasn’t for the wonderfully caring Justin, little YipYip would have perished in the river. To use this content, media outlets must contact Naomi@tmx.news

This #RealRescue features a hawk that had to be eu

This #RealRescue features a hawk that had to be euthanized due to its unknown injuries.

The unfortunate truth is that not all wildlife that we rescue can be saved - but at least we can give it some comfort and stop its suffering in the end.

Wildlife in Saskatchewan need your help - whether you would like to volunteer with us (we have lots of different roles from rescue, to transportation, to fundraising, to social media!) or donate to us - we'd really appreciate it. Though we are a non-profit, we have become an essential service here in SK and require the public's support to keep providing our services.

Please visit our website at wrsos.org for more details on how you can help!

#wildlife #animals #nonprofit #rescue #Saskatchewan

This story is a reminder to all of us - please dis

This story is a reminder to all of us - please dispose of things properly! In this case, due to improper disposal of some fishing line a pelican was injured. Taking a little bit of extra care and ensuring you throw things away properly can truly save the lives of innocent animals!

Last week, a call came in to our hotline and two of our volunteer Hari and Dawn headed out to Blackstrap Lake to help a pelican in need. It was a pretty big challenge to locate the pelican since it was out floating on the lake! Luckily, Hari had some relatives in the area with a boat who loaned it out to him.

Dawn stayed on the beach in case the pelican moved towards land while Hari went out on the boat. Hari was able to grab the trailing fishing line and pull the pelican into the boat. Dawn then jumped into the boat and they immediately got to work on cutting the fishing line off the poor bird!

The line was wrapped tightly around his leg, essentially causing a tourniquet effect. It was also wrapped around his wings so it was a challenge freeing him from the fishing line!

Dawn and Hari were able remove the line then they wrapped the pelican in a blanket and took him to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. We are still waiting on a verdict but this poor little guy could lose his leg due to human laziness. It takes just a few extra minutes to dispose of fishing line properly so please think of this next time you are out enjoying the lake!

Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️ #wildlife #animals #nonprofit #saskatchewan

I know we say this all the time but we have some r

I know we say this all the time but we have some really amazing volunteers and callers! 😍

One of our volunteers Sheri spotted a video on a Facebook page from a gentleman who had seen a Great Horned Owl walking down a dirt road. Sheri then contacted the man for the video and shared it with us - upon seeing the owl's condition in the video, our rehabber advised us that it needed help!

Our volunteer Alex headed out and met with Bob, the gentleman who had posted the video. Bob showed Alex where he had last seen the owl and with Bob’s help Alex crawled through tall grass, mud and heavy brush to rescue the owl!

The owl was then taken to Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation for rehabilitation 🥰

We can’t thank our volunteers and great callers enough! Thank you for helping us keep Saskatchewan’s wildlife wild 🤩

Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️ #wildlife #animals #rescue #nonprofit #saskatchewan

Check out this cute duckling release! These litt

Check out this cute duckling release!

These little duckies and their momma were rescued from the Regina City Hall fountain and safely relocated to a better body of water!

A special thank you to 8 year old Sloan who filmed this sweet video!

Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️ #wildlife #animals #rescue #nonprofit #saskatchewan

Have you ever seen baby pigeons? Check these littl

Have you ever seen baby pigeons? Check these little guys out! They were transported by one of our awesome volunteers named Marsha from Saskatoon to North Battleford. They're kind of cute - right? 🥰

WRSOS has volunteers all across the province who help with the transportation of wildlife to places like vets and specialized rehabbers. Our incredible hotline volunteers help with arranging these calls and connecting wildlife in need to the volunteers that can transport them!

If you ever see wildlife in distress, please call our hotline at 306-242-7177. Our hours are 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. but we also have emergency services available for special cases ☎️😍

#RealRescue #wildlife #animals #rescue #nonprofit #Saskatchewan

Bats may accidentally fly into your home, garage o

Bats may accidentally fly into your home, garage or other buildings through an open door or window. These little guys will typically leave on their own - just keep a window or door to the outside open, and close all other interior doors. 🏠

If the bat seems to be sticking around and not leaving on its own, you can capture it and relocate it outside. Please do not attempt to catch bats while they are in flight! Not only is it difficult to catch a flying bat - you may also injure the delicate creature!

The bat will eventually land and when it does, cover it with a container and gently slip a piece of cardboard under the opening. If this occurs in summer, the bat can be released outside. They must be placed as high as you can reach on a tree trunk with no branches or on the side of the building if it is brick, stucco or wood. It is best to release the bat at night - take a flashlight with you and make sure the bat flies away and doesn’t appear to be injured or sick.

From November to April bats need to be hibernated by a permitted rehabber - please call our hotline if you encounter a bat in your house during these months and we will connect you with one of our amazing rehabbers. 😍☎️

Bats are very gentle creatures but may bite in self-defence if frightened. Please always wear gloves when handling bats and contact a medical professional if you are ever bitten.

If you do not feel comfortable handling wildlife, please call our hotline at 306-242-7177 and we will be happy to assist you❣️

Photo credit to our awesome volunteer Susan! #wildlife #animals #rescue #nonprofit #saskatchewan

Please do not call our hotline to deal with DOMEST

Please do not call our hotline to deal with DOMESTICATED animals, PESTS or to REMOVE ANIMALS from your property! We deal exclusively with WILDLIFE and have been receiving an overwhelming number of calls that are not relevant to the services we provide.

Though we love all animals, we only have the capacity to help wild animals. There are other services across the province that can help you with other animal issues such as the SPCA or your local humane society. Help is typically just a Google search away so please do some research and do not call our hotline if your problem is not related to wildlife.

We are a non-profit organization with limited volunteers and we need to focus our attention on Saskatchewan’s wildlife! Thank you for your understanding! 😍

Please note: we are currently receiving an overwhelming number of calls to our hotline, so if the situation does not seem urgent please first visit our website for advice - http://wrsos.org/wildlife-911/. As we are a non-profit running a free essential service, we would truly appreciate if you could support us by donating - please visit http://wrsos.org/donate/ for more details on how to help. ❤️

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Mailing address:

Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan
PO Box 24004 Midtown PO
Saskatoon, SK
S7K 8B4

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