Forest Babies Rehabilitation Center, Inc.
~ Wildlife Rehab in Action ~

For the care of sick, injured or orphaned native Florida wildlife and release back to the wild.


The Goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to provide professional care to sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals so they can ultimately

be returned to their natural habitat. Animals are held in captivity only until they can live independently in the wild.
 

 


The pictures on this website are a sampling of the animals cared for over the years.
 

New Video
Gross and Graphic
Roundworm being dissected from raccoon poo.

 Wildlife Nursing Care  


*WARNING*

Some of these pictures are graphic.
If you have a squeamish stomach  please don't look at them.



Four week old Marsh Rabbit that came into rehab with what was
thought to be a chest abscess.

Same rabbit two weeks later.

It was a mature Bot Fly larva. Yuk.


Rehab friends. Cottontail on left - Marsh Rabbit on right.

Rehab friends release day. Cottontail in back - Marsh Rabbit in front
His chest healed so well there was nothing to take a picture of on his final day in rehab.

 

Butterscotch


This young Marsh Rabbit was brutally attacked by a cat. Hopefully Butterscotch's story will serve as a warning....free-roaming domestic cats can inflict damage on defenseless wildlife.

VERY GRAPHIC PICTURES NOT APPROPRIATE FOR EVERYONE.
Read about Butterscotch.
 

 

Here is a Red Eared Slider Turtle that was hit by a car. You can see that part of her shell is missing. She also lost a lot of blood. In this picture the shell around her wound has been cleaned in preparation of the shell repair.

 

This is "Sheriff" an injured wild male Opossum. He is under veterinary care for a badly infected leg.

Sheriff came to St. Johns Veterinary Clinic on a Friday with a badly infected leg that involved the bone as well as the tissue. He also had an abrasion along the bridge of his nose.  He was scheduled for a possible amputation of the leg Monday. Sheriff had the weekend to show everyone he wanted to get better. Friday, Saturday and Sunday Sheriff took his medicine without much of a fuss. On Monday, to everyone's surprise, Sheriff's leg had improved! He was then transferred to Forest Babies Rehab. At his three week check up, the doctors said the bone in Sheriff's leg was healing and felt good and strong. Three more weeks of medication and Sheriff's leg was completely healed. One more week of intensive rehab and we had a release!
 

Sheriff was unable to put full weight on his injured leg. His entire foot was swollen from his heal to his toes. He hobbled along the best he could.

In rehab he had an excellent appetite. He took his medicine very willingly as the pill was tucked into a piece of chicken.  He remained wild and greeted me daily with a wide opened mouth full of teeth and a loud hiss.  He didn't show any respect for his caregiver, me, however, my reward came the day he walked strongly and boldly into the forest with a goodbye swish of his tail.  Take a look at his release and his before and after pictures!

 

This is Diesel a male Gopher Tortoise. He is being held by the woman who found him and drove him to Forest Babies Rehab.
Diesel was run over by a vehicle. His story is here.
 

 

 

 

This is a young Marsh Rabbit that may have been attacked by a cat or hit by a lawn mower, or both. This is the worst throat wound I have ever seen. So far he is doing well.

 



This is Helen, a young female
Opossum that was hit by a car.
The injuries you can't see are in her mouth.
 One of her canine teeth has been knocked halfway out.
She also has bruising on her upper gum
 and on the side of her upper jaw.
When she first arrived her nose was bleeding.

 

 



                        

Here is Florida Cooter Turtle. She was hit by a car when crossing
Route 207 and Hilltop Road where all the construction is.
She was taken to the Marine Science Center at Ponce Inlet.
She is expected to recover.


 



              

Normally a recovered animal is released back to their original home.
Sadly this turtle has lost her home due to construction.
 

 

This is an adult female squirrel. She was clipped by a car on the side of her head. She was removed from the road in a shovel by a person trying to help her.

Once at rehab she was given medication to reduce the swelling in her head, fluids and a safe place to sleep during her recovery.

 


 

This is a Gopher Tortoise. She was hit by a car
and was found sitting in a parking lot.
The pictures that follow show her shell repair.

 

This is "Tootsie Roll" a female Opossum with a badly broken leg. It is broken in two places. Tootsie has babies in her pouch. You can see a pink baby right of the green cast. Every week she will go to the veterinarian to have her leg examined and re-wrapped while the bone heals. Pictures  of Tootsie's care, the babies in her pouch, and her story.

 

 

 Marsh rabbit, "Marsha" was attacked by a cat. She has numerous staples closing her wound.
She also has small wounds on the top of her head and on the bridge of her nose. And... she is pregnant!



This is "Mum" a beautiful female Opossum that may have been hit by a car. She was found lying on a lawn one morning. The homeowner contacted us. This girl has a full pouch of baby Opossums!  Hopefully Mum will recover from her injuries. The life of the babies are at great risk. Pictures of Mum's care and the babies in her pouch.

 



 

This is Sweet Pea a female Gopher Tortoise.
She has a medical condition that makes it difficult
for her to eat enough food to gain weight.
(Read about her rehab success and see more pictures)

 



Sick and dehydrated Seagull. Feeling better pictures.
He was transferred to a bird rehab facility after he was stabilized.

 

Dehydrated Northern Gannet receiving fluid therapy.
He was transferred to a bird rehab facility after he was stabilized.

Here is an adult male squirrel who was hit by a car.
You can see the blood on his nose.

                       

 

This is a young male opossum who had a plastic six pack beer holder wrapped around his shoulder and under one arm.
The plastic cut into his skin as he grew. A veterinarian operated to remove the imbedded plastic.


 



 



 


 


 

 


This is a perfect example of what can happen to a helpless animal
when they come in contact with plastic six pack beer holders.
Please, before you throw yours away, cut it in pieces so you
 won't be responsible for something like this.



 


 

 
Seven days later you can see the wound is healing. Notice all the sharp teeth!


Notice the wide pink-colored scar under his neck.
The wound took almost six weeks to heal completely.
This opossum was released at the place where he was captured.


This is Rockette, a female adult raccoon who was hit by a car.
A kind and compassionate woman saw this raccoon
 on the edge of the road covered in wet mud.
A fireman helped her get the raccoon in a box and she
 and her friend drove the injured raccoon to this rehab center.

X-rays showed no broken bones. She suffered a head injury.

Lots more pictures of Rockette.

    

 

Male Gopher Tortoise, Arthur,  recovering from a wound from an attack by two dogs.



 


 



 

Getting ready to soak my leg.
 



New bandage.

 

 

 

 

 

 Claysie's thigh wound from a dog attack.
She healed beautifully and was released back into the wild.



 

 

This tiny Marsh Rabbit was captured by a cat.
She had a horrible neck wound. Here you can see
the exposed muscle and puncture wounds
from the cat's teeth.

She healed completely and
three weeks later was released.


 


This young opossum was attacked by an animal and suffered two puncture wounds, one to the shoulder and one to his abdomen. Also, he had an ear condition that was causing areas of his ear flaps to rot off.  (This condition is a systemic disease)
 





Adult squirrel hit by a car. She suffered a head injury
 



 



 


Feeling better after receiving fluids.


 

 

 

Ballerina

This Cottontail Rabbit was hit in the head by a truck. She sustained trauma to both eyes. Luckily she survived but unfortunately she never regained the complete use of her eyesight.



 


Look at my beautiful cotton tail!

 

Please, if you care to, donate what
you can to help the wild babies.




Forest Babies Rehabilitation Center, Inc.
 A Florida Non-Profit  Corporation
St. Augustine, FL 32086
 

If you have found an injured or orphaned wild animal and you need help . . . please read this.
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The Meaning of Rehabilitation...

To face yet another day just like the one before. We forgo sleep, time with family and friends, and any time at all for ourselves. And yet, when life is given back, a success is noted, a victory won, we are renewed to continue with this work. Those who are gifted with a great love for animals and nature and the ability to help save their lives have no choice but to do all that is humanly and humanely possible.



This website was created to help us appreciate the wild animals we make our home
with and to educate ourselves about their wonders.
 

 

If you see a picture you like and want a copy,  please let me know by email so it can be sent to you!

Thank you for visiting.

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Please remember, rehabbers are volunteers for their communities. They are not paid by anyone. Support your rehabber!