Blue Ridge Country May/June 2024 - 70
Jerry Harvey: " The greatest reward is that we get to see all these little creatures, these little
faces, thrive. We lose animals every day and we have to euthanize animals every day. But the
reward is we save so many. Without us, these animals would have nowhere else to go and no
one else to stand up for them. "
yard, or in the road, or on their porch,
and think they're sick or hurt. And when
they get here, we realize when we see
them that they're just old. They just can't
forage for food like they used to. Most of
the time, we get rid of all their intestinal
parasites, and we can give them two really
good meals a day and a soft, clean
bed. And within just a couple of days,
they start perking up. They may live several
weeks, or sometimes a few months,
more than they would have in the wild. "
In years past, Harvey and other wildlife
rehabbers discouraged the general
public from trapping and transporting
hurt or displaced animals. But, he notes,
the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency
currently asks citizens to bring the critters
to rehab centers like Opie Acres.
Harvey and another trained rehabilitator
talk callers through the process and
how to stay safe.
" Fortunately, because of our Facebook
page and the education programs
that we do, people just know now to stop
and check to see if there are baby possums
in that pouch. Or they know how
to take a broom and scoop an animal
into a carrier. "
As long as there's room, Opie Acres
accepts most mammals except bats and
deer, which are restricted by state law.
When the time is right, Harvey and
his team, which includes about 10 volunteers,
release the recuperated animals
into the wild, ideally in the general area
where they were found or, with permission,
on a landowner's property-but
only if they're ready. A possum, for
example, must be able to build a nest,
climb well and forage for hidden food.
They also need to demonstrate a healthy
fear of other animals and people. " And if
they don't meet all those criteria, " Harvey
says, " we're not releasing them. "
Fortunately, happy endings aren't out
of the question for critters that can't be
reintroduced into their natural habitats.
When she was about six months old,
Bonnie the raccoon was discovered with
broken bones in her face and her nose
so badly injured, Harvey recalls, that " it
was torn off of her face and was literally
hanging by a thread. "
" And I found them to be fascinating because of their prehensile tail, their four
fingers and a thumb on all four limbs and the fact that they're our only marsupial
in the United States. So I just took it upon myself to make sure that the world
knew, and that was I going to be the one to save them. "
70 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
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Blue Ridge Country May/June 2024
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