Latest news with #HopeforWildlife
CTV News
03-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Hope for Wildlife caring for more than 500 animals in Nova Scotia
Hope for Wildlife is currently caring for 12 orphaned fox pups. (Source: Facebook/Hope for Wildlife) The busy season for Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth, N.S., has officially begun. The organization, which offers rehabilitation programs for wildlife, says they currently have more than 500 animals in their care. Last week they admitted 110 patients. 'We are admitting dozens of patients a day now, so their need is great,' the group said in a Facebook post. Hope for Wildlife, which started in 1997, says it has rehabilitated and released more than 40,000 animals. More to come… Fox Hope for Wildlife is currently caring for 12 orphaned fox pups. (Source: Facebook/Hope for Wildlife) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Global News
22-05-2025
- General
- Global News
Dartmouth firefighters help give pair of orphaned raccoon kits a second chance
Everybody's heard of firefighters rescuing cats stuck in trees — but what about baby raccoons left in a parking lot? That's exactly what the crew at Fire Station 13 in Dartmouth faced on Sunday when they discovered a baby raccoon abandoned beside the wheels of a parked car. A second one was found the following day. 'It was cold, it was wet, and it was shivering,' said Richard Sullivan, an executive officer with Halifax Professional Firefighters Local 268. 'So, the firefighters brought the baby raccoon inside, they dried it off and they warmed it up, and then they called Hope for Wildlife.' When he arrived at Hope's, the baby was severely dehydrated. 'It needed fluids, to be warmed up, and all that good stuff,' said Hope Swinimer, founder of Hope for Wildlife. 'But it's really doing well now, and the next day they found another one, so arrangements were made to have that one brought into us, too.' Story continues below advertisement The pair of bandits were brought to the nursery, where they joined about 23 other orphaned raccoons that are being given a second chance. View image in full screen The two kits will be on milk for 4-5 more weeks. Ella Macdonald / Global News According to Swinimer, the rescue gets hundreds of baby raccoons a year — mostly due to human error. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Probably 70 per cent of the time, it's a case where a raccoon has gone into someone's attic and given birth,' Swinimer explained. 'But they trap the mom out, not knowing she has babies up there, and release her far far away. So, the babies are orphaned from that point on and there's no way to reunite.' But there are ways to avoid the risk, Swinimer said. 'It's really simple, they pick the attics 'cause they're dark and quiet. By putting a light and radio up there, we're giving that mom the exact opposite of what she wants, and over the next week she'll move her family unit to a site that she finds a little bit better for her to nurse her young.' Story continues below advertisement Another common way kits become orphaned is when their mothers are hit by vehicles. 'We usually see the dead mom on the road with the little baby still curled up with mom, so it's really sad.' Swinimer said. She adds if you see a raccoon dead by the side of the road, it's a good idea to pull over and check for kits when safe to do so. 'People will often gather up those babies and bring them to us,' she said. 'It's always good to check because this is the time of year everything has babies.'
CTV News
27-04-2025
- General
- CTV News
Racing pigeon from Spain has rare journey to Canada after wrong turn in Mediterranean
Peter, a Spanish racing pigeon found on Sable Island, N.S., in late March, is seen being handled by a Parks Canada employee in an undated handout photo. The messenger pigeon, who was found about 5,000 kilometres away from where it was supposed to go, is now recovering at a rescue centre, Hope for Wildlife. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Hope for Wildlife)
Hamilton Spectator
27-04-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Racing pigeon from Spain has rare journey to Canada after wrong turn in Mediterranean
A Spanish pigeon keeper is surprised and relieved that a bird that went missing during a race in the Mediterranean has landed in Nova Scotia rather than being devoured by a hawk. On Feb. 22, David Fernandez took his 18 pigeons from his home in Mallorca to Ibiza, from where they would race about 125 kilometres back home. It was a sunny day and it was pigeon No. 9950's first race. All but one of his pigeons returned to their dovecote — a structure to house the birds — within about two hours, Fernandez said. When pigeon No. 9950 didn't return, he said he thought the eight-month-old bird had become a raptor's meal. 'It seems on that day the pigeons suffered a lot of attacks from hawks,' he said in an interview last week from Mallorca. Then about a month later, Fernandez got an email from Parks Canada employee Kristina Penn telling him about a pigeon found on Sable Island, about 160 kilometres off the coast of Nova Scotia. Pigeons are a rare sight on the island, known for its wild horse population and home to a handful of researchers and parks workers. It had two bands around its legs that pointed toward Spain as the bird's place of origin, and after a little digging Penn determined Fernandez was the owner. Though Fernandez said pigeons never cease to amaze him, he knew there was no way the bird could have flown the nearly 5,100 kilometres from Mallorca to Sable Island. He suspects the bird hitched a ride on a cargo ship. 'What is really surprising is its ability to survive and endure the journey and the conditions in which it did it.' Jared Clarke, who specializes in custom birdwatching and nature tours in Newfoundland, said pigeons were trained and used for delivering messages in several ancient civilizations, and the tradition may be as old as the pyramids. Homing or racing pigeons are the same species as the common or domestic ones, also known as rock pigeons, seen around Canadian cities, he said. These birds have been selectively bred over many generations for traits that make them suitable for speed and racing. Occasionally some birds get lost because of a 'directional glitch in their brain,' he said. Penn said it was foggy and rainy on March 24 when employees spotted a pigeon sitting on the porch by the main Parks Canada building. When they find injured animals, employees don't usually interfere with them but Penn said she saw the bird bands on its legs. She took some pictures of the bird and went home to do some research from the information on the bands, which led her to Spain, and specifically to a non-profit organization that governs pigeon sport there. When she came back the next day, Penn said she found the bird in the same place so she gave it some water and food. She then contacted a group in Seaforth, N.S., that takes in injured or abandoned animals, Hope for Wildlife. 'I think it's incredible. This bird is really an endurance bird,' Penn said. 'There's so much open water and the fact that it found Sable Island amongst all places, it arrives to the main station — it's just such a serendipitous story.' Hope Swinimer, founder of the rehabilitation centre, said the pigeon was a little underweight, slightly dehydrated, and had some bad bruising when it arrived but is doing a lot better now. She described the pigeon as friendly and used to being around people. 'He must have had very good, loving owners,' she said. She said she thinks the paperwork to send the bird back might cause some difficulty, so the Spanish bird could join two other pigeons at the centre and help in educating the public about the birds. Fernandez said he is not opposed to the bird staying in Canada. Pigeon fanciers usually don't name a bird until it has won a race or has a physical feature that attracts attention, he said. So he had not given pigeon No. 9950 a name just yet. He was amused to learn the bird's rescuers had named it Peter. 'I will contact the foundation that is looking after the pigeon and we will decide what is best and most viable,' he said. 'If they have grown fond of him, I am not going to take Peter away from them.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
27-04-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Racing pigeon from Spain has rare journey to Canada after wrong turn in Mediterranean
A Spanish pigeon keeper is surprised and relieved that a bird that went missing during a race in the Mediterranean has landed in Nova Scotia rather than being devoured by a hawk. On Feb. 22, David Fernandez took his 18 pigeons from his home in Mallorca to Ibiza, from where they would race about 125 kilometres back home. It was a sunny day and it was pigeon No. 9950's first race. All but one of his pigeons returned to their dovecote — a structure to house the birds — within about two hours, Fernandez said. When pigeon No. 9950 didn't return, he said he thought the eight-month-old bird had become a raptor's meal. 'It seems on that day the pigeons suffered a lot of attacks from hawks,' he said in an interview last week from Mallorca. Then about a month later, Fernandez got an email from Parks Canada employee Kristina Penn telling him about a pigeon found on Sable Island, about 160 kilometres off the coast of Nova Scotia. Pigeons are a rare sight on the island, known for its wild horse population and home to a handful of researchers and parks workers. It had two bands around its legs that pointed toward Spain as the bird's place of origin, and after a little digging Penn determined Fernandez was the owner. Though Fernandez said pigeons never cease to amaze him, he knew there was no way the bird could have flown the nearly 5,100 kilometres from Mallorca to Sable Island. He suspects the bird hitched a ride on a cargo ship. 'What is really surprising is its ability to survive and endure the journey and the conditions in which it did it.' Jared Clarke, who specializes in custom birdwatching and nature tours in Newfoundland, said pigeons were trained and used for delivering messages in several ancient civilizations, and the tradition may be as old as the pyramids. Homing or racing pigeons are the same species as the common or domestic ones, also known as rock pigeons, seen around Canadian cities, he said. These birds have been selectively bred over many generations for traits that make them suitable for speed and racing. Occasionally some birds get lost because of a 'directional glitch in their brain,' he said. Penn said it was foggy and rainy on March 24 when employees spotted a pigeon sitting on the porch by the main Parks Canada building. When they find injured animals, employees don't usually interfere with them but Penn said she saw the bird bands on its legs. She took some pictures of the bird and went home to do some research from the information on the bands, which led her to Spain, and specifically to a non-profit organization that governs pigeon sport there. When she came back the next day, Penn said she found the bird in the same place so she gave it some water and food. She then contacted a group in Seaforth, N.S., that takes in injured or abandoned animals, Hope for Wildlife. 'I think it's incredible. This bird is really an endurance bird,' Penn said. 'There's so much open water and the fact that it found Sable Island amongst all places, it arrives to the main station — it's just such a serendipitous story.' Hope Swinimer, founder of the rehabilitation centre, said the pigeon was a little underweight, slightly dehydrated, and had some bad bruising when it arrived but is doing a lot better now. She described the pigeon as friendly and used to being around people. 'He must have had very good, loving owners,' she said. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. She said she thinks the paperwork to send the bird back might cause some difficulty, so the Spanish bird could join two other pigeons at the centre and help in educating the public about the birds. Fernandez said he is not opposed to the bird staying in Canada. Pigeon fanciers usually don't name a bird until it has won a race or has a physical feature that attracts attention, he said. So he had not given pigeon No. 9950 a name just yet. He was amused to learn the bird's rescuers had named it Peter. 'I will contact the foundation that is looking after the pigeon and we will decide what is best and most viable,' he said. 'If they have grown fond of him, I am not going to take Peter away from them.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2025.
