Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary

Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary We help wild animals and their habitats thrive through a unique harmony of wildlife rehabilitation, public education, and community collaboration.

Join us in forging a more vibrant future for wildlife!
🦊🦉🐢🦝🐍🦨🐦🦇

https://linktr.ee/rockfishwildlife

As August wraps up, here’s a quick reminder that 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 needs a will. That’s true even if your only asset is a pile of...
08/31/2026

As August wraps up, here’s a quick reminder that 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 needs a will. That’s true even if your only asset is a pile of acorns. 🌰 ⁣
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Today is the last day of Make-A-Will Month! If you’ve got a plan in place, take a moment to review it and ensure your information is up to date. ✅ If you’ve not made a will before, today is a great day to start exploring. 🔎 ⁣
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When you include RWS in your estate planning, you ensure that your legacy will support native wildlife conservation and animal welfare for years to come. 🐾 If you’d like to learn more, please visit our website’s “Ways to Give” page under our “Support” menu. 💚⁣
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AND, before you cry squirrel slander about this post, we gladly admit that the whole “squirrels forget where all their nuts are stored” thing isn’t totally true! ⬇️⁣
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Research has shown that a squirrel’s spatial memory is actually quite excellent. 😲💪 These bushy-tailed rodents remember dozens of individual storage locations for months at a time! One experiment found that squirrels could easily recall how to solve a food puzzle even after two years had passed since they’d encountered the puzzle. 🧩⁣
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Thank you for following RWS, learning about wildlife, and considering how your legacy can help support animals in need. ⁣💕
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PLEASE stop making fun of this baby bird’s hairdo. He can’t help the fluff. 😭⁣⁣This Northern Mockingbird is one of many ...
08/28/2026

PLEASE stop making fun of this baby bird’s hairdo. He can’t help the fluff. 😭⁣
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This Northern Mockingbird is one of many young fledgling orphaned birds we still have in care at RWS this summer! ☀️ We usually have baby bird patients through mid-September. Until our last songbird patient of 2026 flies back to the wild, we’ll continue feeding them…every 30 minutes. 🏃😅⁣
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Dolly Parton was a true steward of humanity’s goodness and a reminder that there is so much on this earth that we have t...
08/26/2026

Dolly Parton was a true steward of humanity’s goodness and a reminder that there is so much on this earth that we have to fight for. 🌎🌳❤️⁣
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Dolly’s Imagination Library books teach millions of kids annually about the importance of being kind, the value of understanding the natural world, and the beauty of having empathy for the humans and animals in our lives. 📚 The books shown here are just some of this year’s selections that are connecting youngsters with the critters around us! 💚
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Dolly’s music often celebrated the beauty of Appalachia and the wild lives who call it home. 🌄 Her philanthropic support for wildlife was extensive, yet lesser known to many – Dolly was a staunch supporter of Bald Eagle conservation, making Dollywood the home to American Eagle Foundation. 🦅 Dolly also planted pollinator gardens throughout Monarch migration routes, in line with her lifelong ⁣fascination with butterflies. 🦋 ⁣
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Dolly loved pets, too! 🐾 She wrote countless songs and children’s books about dogs, and she partnered with PETA to advocate for responsible pet ownership. Her philanthropy further supported many animal rescues, and she consistently advocated for adopting from shelters. 🐶🐱⁣
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We hope to be able to carry on Dolly’s legacy through our work for wildlife at RWS. Rest in peace, Dolly. You are treasured. ✨⁣
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08/21/2026

Check out those (teeny) pearly whites! 🦷😁⁣
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Though it might look like a smile, an opossum opening its mouth like this is actually a defensive behavior that signals discomfort. 😬 It’s the opossum’s way of telling you, “Back it up! Look at all of these teeth I’ve got!” This gaping behavior is often accompanied by hissing or drooling, which can also intimidate predators. ❌⁣
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If a predator doesn’t heed an opossum’s toothy warning, the opossum may begin to “play possum,” or play dead. ☠️ This is an 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 state called thanatosis. They may freeze, fall over, become unresponsive to stimuli, drool, release stinky odors from their a**l glands, and experience such a decreased heart rate and breathing rate that they appear sick or dead. 🤢All of that Oscar-worthy acting tells a predator, “I’m gross! Don’t touch me!” And it’s pretty darn convincing! 🎭⁣
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Though we weren’t trying to eat our patients shown here, we took this behavior as an excellent sign of their preparedness for the wild where they will be faced with genuine threats. We also immediately left them alone. 😆🏃⁣
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Next up in the spotlight is someone you might remember from last year: Medha! 🤩 She has completed another flex internshi...
08/19/2026

Next up in the spotlight is someone you might remember from last year: Medha! 🤩 She has completed another flex internship at RWS this year and was awarded one of our rabies vaccination scholarships, enabling her to work with the full scope of wildlife patients we treat at the Sanctuary. Today is Medha’s last day, and we will miss her so! 🥲⁣

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Name: Medha Vullikanti (she/her)
School: University of Virginia '27
Major: Biology with minor in Environmental Science

What's been your favorite part of your internship experience so far, compared to last year?
"Working with different species, like rabies-vector species. I feel I've gotten to do more and learned a lot more, which has been fun. And met new people!

What are you taking away from this experience?
"Well, definitely doing this [internship] last year and this year made me realize I want to apply to veterinary school in the future. I want to work with animals as a career. I feel it just made me more confident in handling animals."

Do you have a favorite animal to work with?
"The skunks are SO cute. The smell doesn't really bother me. After ten minutes you get used to it. Also, when we had the hummingbird, that was pretty cool! Baby opossums super cute too."

What have you been up to this summer other than your internship?
"I'm working as a research assistant in a lab at UVA, so that's fun. And I'm studying for the GRE."

What do you like to do in your spare time?
"I've been going on a lot of hikes this summer! I'm watching a lot of new movies too. A favorite has been the new Spiderman! It was so good. I've been cooking more since I want to learn how to cook and be better when I get back to school."

Favorite spot for a treat in Charlottesville?
"I would say the matcha truck, NOK108! It's my favorite drink. It's genuinely so good, and it's nice in the summer because there are no lines since most students are gone."

What's a fun fact about yourself?
"I used to play tennis in high school and hit a two handed forehand. Most people just hit it with one hand. Maybe that's too niche. " It's perfect. 😆🎾

What's next for you?
"After my last year of college, hopefully I get into grad school for wildlife biology and then go to vet school."

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Thank you, Medha, for not one but TWO wonderful summers of hard work at the Sanctuary! We’re so excited to see you take on your fourth year at UVA and grad school. You’ll always be a part of the RWS team! 🐾⁣

How the cool alt barista looks at you after you order a triple caramel frappe with extra whipped cream and sprinkles on ...
08/18/2026

How the cool alt barista looks at you after you order a triple caramel frappe with extra whipped cream and sprinkles on top 😠☕️⁣
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Carming little Mourning Dove patient 26-727 is a new patient at the Sanctuary — and pretty new to this world, too! She still has her egg tooth, which is the white bump at the tip of her beak. This temporary sharp growth is what helps the baby break out of its egg! It falls off naturally in the days after hatching. ⁣
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This hatchling is still in one of our specialized incubators and is being gavage-fed throughout the day. We will work hard to ensure she gets her second chance at life in the wild! 💕⁣
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08/15/2026

Okay, we still haven’t admitted a rattlesnake. 😭 BUT the sound of this baby Barn Swallow enthusiastically begging for food next to some dried leaves is a good close second. 🤣⁣
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We refresh the live tree clippings in our fledgling enclosures every 3-4 days or so as they start to dry out. 🌳 That way, the orphaned patients in our care get to experience a range of tree species, branch sizes, and leaf conditions as they prepare for release. 🍃🍁⁣
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Barn Swallows like this patient won’t need to deal with crunchy leaves for too long in the wild, though. These long-distance migrants usually travel to Central and South America to spend the winter! 🏝️ Take us with you?! ⁣
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This week, we're shining the spotlight on Kiana, one of our fabulous flex interns! Kiana has been working with us 2-3 ti...
08/14/2026

This week, we're shining the spotlight on Kiana, one of our fabulous flex interns! Kiana has been working with us 2-3 times per week over the past 6 weeks.

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Name: Kiana Sciacca (she/her)
School: University of Virginia '28
Major: Biology

What's your favorite native species you've worked with?
"This is kind of a hot take, but I really think the Chimney Swifts are so cute. I love watching them get chimney trained and get more independent as they grow up."

What's been your favorite part of your internship so far?
"I really have enjoyed meeting new people, but maybe more than that, I've liked joining for the releases. It's nice to see everyone's hard work pay off. It's satisfying to see them back in the wild!"

What are you taking away from this experience?
"I think more patience and more confidence. I feel like you can't go in to feed an enclosure of patients without being confident." (This is true!)

What do you like to do when you're not helping animals?
"This summer I've been hiking a lot more and trying to find the best swimming holes in the area. This is my outdoorsy summer. I really like White Oak Canyon. You can swim under the waterfall!"

What are you reading/watching right now?
"Right now I'm watching Veep. It's supposed to be a satire but...life imitates art, as they say."

What have you been up to on your days off this summer here in VA?
"Aside from hiking, I love finding new local coffee places! I did just try Belties and it was so tasty. I also didn't know that belties were a type of miniature cow. They're such tiny cows. I really like Petite MarieBette too!"

What's your go-to fun fact?
"My college essay was about birdwatching! My favorite bird is the American Woodcock. Or a Royal Spoonbill! I like that they're not bald. Sorry if that's discriminatory to bald spoonbills." 😆

What's your hidden talent?
"I can play violin! I was in an orchestra for six years." 🎻

What's next for you?
"I'm doing a residential semester at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation which I'm super excited about."

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Thank you, Kiana, for bringing your curiosity and positivity to our team this summer. 💕 We know you will have an amazing semester learning even more conservation skills – and we hope to welcome you back to RWS next season!

🚨 Tickets to Mountain View Magic are ON SALE NOW! Grab yours today at our discounted Early Bird price! 🎟️🏃‍♂️⁣https://on...
08/12/2026

🚨 Tickets to Mountain View Magic are ON SALE NOW! Grab yours today at our discounted Early Bird price! 🎟️🏃‍♂️⁣

https://onecau.se/_kvezc1
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We’re thrilled to invite you to Mountain View Magic, this year’s Sanctuary Soirée. 🪄 Join us on October 2nd at for a delightful evening in support of our mission.⁣ 🥂⁣
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Your ticket to this year’s bewitching Sanctuary Soirée includes:⁣
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🍷 An open bar serving award-winning wine from Eastwood, beer from Starr Hill Brewery, cider from Potter’s Craft Cider, and a variety of delicious non-alcoholic beverages.⁣
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🪄 Magical cocktail hour entertainment.⁣
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🍽️ Delicious appetizers and a buffet dinner from Botanical fare.⁣
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🎻 Live string band tunes throughout the evening.⁣
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🖼️ A chance to peruse our Silent Auction items while you bid online.⁣
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🐾 Mingling time with our education ambassador animals, including our newest pair...who you might just win the chance to name!⁣
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✨ A dinnertime program with plenty of surprises!⁣
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Best of all? Your ticket purchase will directly support our work caring for injured and orphaned wild animals in need, all while treating you to a truly entrancing evening. 💫⁣
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You can also help divinate Mountain View Magic’s success today by 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿. Our sponsors truly make the magic happen by powering us to reach our fundraising goals. 💪 Whether you pick a $500 or $5,000 sponsorship package, you’ll receive lots of great perks — and the gratitude of our wildlife patients! Plus, you’ll secure your tickets…before they sell out. ⁣😉⁣
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We’re also still collecting items for our jam-packed auction! Are you an artist, business owner, vacation rental manager, or someone with a skill or service to share? Please consider donating to our auction! We’d be thrilled to feature your work.⁣🤗⁣
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𝘗𝘴𝘴𝘴𝘵: if you’re not into magic, don’t worry. This isn’t a costume party. (Unless you want it to be. We won’t stop you. 😂) While we’ll have touches of sorcery and whimsy at our Soirée, the real magic will come from our community gathering to help save wild animals in need. 🐾⁣

See you there!

💅 Our wild neighbors are out there doing the most. 💕 It sure is chic to care about them! ⁣⁣⁣Given the current explosive ...
08/11/2026

💅 Our wild neighbors are out there doing the most. 💕 It sure is chic to care about them! ⁣
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⁣Given the current explosive outbreak of cyclosporiasis (sooo sorry for the pun), we thought some of y’all might resonate with slide 4. 😅 While raccoons aren’t a natural reservoir for cyclospora parasites, they ARE the definitive host for a parasitic roundworm called raccoon roundworm. 🪱🦝⁣
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Luckily, the average person does not need to worry about this dangerous parasite since most folks aren’t routinely exposed to raccoon feces…that is, unless you happen to be illegally raising a wild raccoon. 👀 Reason number 10,377 to leave wildlife rehabilitation to the pros, folks! 🐛⁣
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Address

5450 Wheelers Cove Road
Shipman, VA
22971

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+14342634954

Website

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