AVWS - Week Four.

What do you need to know about week four before I start my story? Week four is Hannah's last week at Aspen Valley. Week four is the last week of April and week four was a week of beautiful weather...in Belgium! Week four was a cold and wet week full of mud and emotions in Rosseau.
Thurber survived his visit to the vet's office and the GM was intense but I guess it had a Happy End, more or less...Mama Bear is awake and alive and kicking! She's been used to teach dogs how to hunt bears, so the dog owners took her frontpaw claws and her canines away, to make a long sad story short! She's unable to hunt and to survive a happy life in freedom and she's a widow because Poppa Bear died a few years ago, he had the same history! Anyway I've met her recently and my respect for this beautiful animal and her history is neverending. It makes me feel small in a way and very...very sad sometimes.

We are still feeding babies and we had a very special one coming in last week. A dog destroyed a rabbit's nest and killed all the babies, accept for one. It's very hard to raise wild baby rabbits because they are so vulnerable and they need a lot of care. This one is doing great so far thanks to the good care of Brenda and our new volunteer, Marta!

You know that the bearcubs are awake and that we have a recovering baby bear in the barn...Well this week was supposed to be a very big week for Billy Bear. We were about to move him to the bearcub enclosure to make him familiar with the other bears and to prepare him for the journey of his life. Several emergencies and wet and cold weather delayed his removal to next week but in a meanwhile he's waiting shy and patiently in the barn.

I think it's time for you to meet the Alpha Male. I have to be honest, I forgat his history but I know nobody knows whether or not he's a purebred Wolf .If you are lucky and he likes the way you move, the way you smell and -with a huge respect for my friend Joe- the way you howl, he'll come down...I see him once in a while...if I'm lucky, Meet M'kom!

And if I talk about emotions, I talk about Amarook! This beautiful Grey Timberwolf lived at the sanctuary for fourteen years. She died on friday night...we'll miss her high song during the night and we wonder why? So long Wolf...farewell! Amarook probably joins the American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) that came in this week. It had been attacked by a cat and ended up with an injured wing. I gave the little bird the first care, before we brought it to the bird sanctuary. I've put the wing back in its position with a bandage and wrapped it around the body to keep it tight. There was no fracture, probably a dislocation. We've heard that they euthanized the Woodcock on Wednesday because there is no proper treatment for a dislocation of a bird's shoulder.

I've met Bart, he's an MNR inspector and he came on Friday! He gave the approval for the otter and the beaver enclosure and he praised me for my work on the owl enclosures. So Bibi, Marilyn's beaver will continue her recovery and exercise on Monday in the outside enclosure. And next week we'll move Lenny and Addie to the beautiful spot near the lake where they will taste freedom soon.

Well my fifth week will start on Wednesday and there's still a lot of work to do. There's an upcoming priority and Sadie is the main character! Some of the animals will be released and some of them will move one step closer to freedom but in a meanwhile it's very quiet in the little Bunky because we took a trip to the big Chaos, named Toronto! More news next week my friends. Enjoy this blog, enjoy this life, goodmorning - goodnight, smog kisses and rainy hugs!

And for my own safety and to avoid any questions, there is always a fence between me and the animals when I make my shots...but I did make a little exception on the Woodcock : )!

Yours sincerily

The Beauty, the Beast and the Hound - CityTrippin'!