Pain medication and a specialized diet saw an old guy improve enough to head home to the woods this month.
An elderly male raccoon made his way back to health thanks to the work of those at the B.C. SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre in Metchosin.
Found in a private Langford yard, the raccoon was showing signs of neurological trauma and had small wounds on his feet. With the help of Alternative Wildlife Solutions, the critter was safely contained and brought in for care at Wild ARC.
After a thorough exam and some wound cleaning and management, it was determined the raccoon just needed some supportive care to get him back on his feet. He was also missing a good portion of his tail, but that appeared to be an old injury, likely from some sort of territorial dispute Erin Ryan, specialist and research communications at Wild ARC, told Black Press Media.
READ ALSO: Wild ARC tops 3,000 south Vancouver Island wild animal rescues for the year
The raccoon quickly became feisty when staff were near him, and after a week in care, he was released back into the general area he was found.
Wild ARC treats nearly 140 different species each year, each with its own specialized diet prepared fresh each day. Donors can buy dinner for a hungry patient at shop.spca.bc.ca/products/arcdonation.
Beavers are the heavy eaters at $50 while $12 gets an owl fed. The Wild ARC online donation options also allows someone to ‘pick up the check for everyone’ for $100.
While open 365 days a year to injured and sick wildlife, Wild ARC has always been closed to the public. Anyone who finds a wild animal in distress should contact the B.C. SPCA provincial call centre at 1-855-622-7722 for advice.
READ ALSO: Sooke residents thanked for role in bald eagle rescue
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