Howling Mountain Wildlife Rescue

Home
United States
Starksboro, VT
Howling Mountain Wildlife Rescue

Howling Mountain Wildlife Rescue, Inc is a non-profit organization licensed by the State of VT.

Howling Mountain Wildlife Rescue is licensed by the State of Vermont.

04/08/2026

The first raccoon kits of 2026 have arrived. They came in a few days ago with umbilical cords still attached at about 3 days old. The litter of four fell down a chimney into the living space of some very kind homeowners. They made every effort to keep the family together, reuniting 2 of the 4 babies with mom. The remaining 2 were left for an extended time in hopes mom would return, but unfortunately she did not. Now they will be raised at Howling Mountain and released back into the wild late in the summer.

05/23/2025

The single red fox kit is growing up fast. As most of the rehabbed fox kits temporarily do, she has taken up residence under the deck in the backyard. She is starting to hunt insects, which is always the first attempt at gaining proficiency in the hunting arena. I will continue to supplement her diet throughout the early summer, until it is very obvious that she is able to provide solely for herself.

04/26/2025

Judith was found on the floor of a mechanic shop in a busy town a couple of weeks ago. She had been there for 2 days before we got the call. She was very dehydrated but bounced back quickly and is now a very healthy, toddler raccoon.

04/16/2025

This little red fox kit came in a few weeks ago. She was found crying alone outside a home for 24 hours with no sign of a parent or den in the area. We tried to reunite over an additional night, but had no success. She has been growing quickly and devours frozen mice and formula. It’s absolutely amazing how her coat coloration is perfect camouflage to blend in among the dried leaves and muddy earth this time of year.

04/15/2025

It was a very long, cold and snowy winter here in Vermont. Finally, today, it started to feel like a bit Spring. And as we all know, Spring means new life, including baby mammals. Unfortunatley, the babies that come into my care are orphans. Most of the time, baby animals end up separated from their families and orphaned due to human interference. One of the most common issues is people live trapping a raccoon that they find in their attic or basement and relocating it many miles away. What people don't realize at the time, is that they have trapped and relocated a mother, leaving behind babies. This is the case for 3 infant raccoons that came into my care over the weekend. All mother raccoons have alternate den sites and if the current den site is made uncomfortable (brights lights and talk radio) she will move herself and her babies to another location. Problem solved. So please, spread this information and keep wild families together. In the meantime, I will raise these 3 kits and release them later in the summer.

11/19/2024

A few weeks ago, during a very warm spell, I decided to soft release the late season “babies”. They had gained weight and had grown large enough to protect themselves from the elements and other potential wild bullies. I absolutely despise keeping wild animals in cages unless absolutely necessary for their safety. These guys were ready, and deserved to be free, so I opened the enclosure door. They have been coming and going. They have met other much larger adult raccoons and seem to coexist with them wonderfully. From what I can tell, they have been denning in their old enclosure as well as in other “undisclosed” locations including under my back deck. Today, I was hanging lights in my bird feeder tree when I heard the soft churring call of a raccoon. 2 from the group had come to “help” hang the lights. For anyone who has worked with raccoons, they are horrible “helpers” and the lights were becoming a tangled mess. I distracted them with granola bars and was able to finish just in time for them to raid the bird feeder and really irritate the resident feathered friends. Fortunately, there’s enough food for everyone, feathered or furred.

10/17/2024

It snowed 10 inches at the mountain tops yesterday, but today it’s 50 and sunny and the perfect weather for a raccoon pool party! The overwintering raccoons are eating double what they usually consume in preparation for torpor. Once it becomes colder, and the days get shorter, their metabolism will slow way down and they will begin to sleep for long periods of time. Unlike the 3 true hibernators in Vermont (little brown bat, the jumping mouse and woodchuck), raccoons will wake on warmer winter days to venture out of their den in search of water and food. I will make sure these 5 babies have food and water available all winter for the occasions when they wake up hungry and thirsty.

10/08/2024

The 5 "babies" are now about 3 months old. In the wild, they would be following mom on excursions in search of food and would stay with her through the first winter. Since I am their surrogate mother, I give them as many opportunities as possible to be out of an enclosure, and out into the woods. It is here that they learn (through experimentation) what is good to eat and how to navigate the forest floor and canopy. People always ask how I "teach" animals to survive on their own in the wild. The answer is that I do not teach; I provide opportunities for learning and the animals "teach" themeselves. Most animal behavior is innate. Carnivores, like bobcats, are born with the ability to hunt. They just need practice. Omnivores like raccoons, are born with the ability to use problem solving skills and experiementation to scavenge and to figure out what is good to eat through trial and error. One of the greatest joys of rehabilitating these species is to watch these natural traits play out in real time. I will never know what happens after they are released, but I can sleep well knowing I gave them every chance possible to grow and develop the skills needed for survival.

09/20/2024

These late season babies came in as toddlers 1 month ago. In the last couple of years it seems there are late litters of a variety of species which is a relatively new phenomenon. These guys will have to overwinter with me and will be released next Spring. They are currently in the process of weaning and are offered bottles twice a day. We will start field trips soon as this is the age where they would start to follow mom on excursions outside the den.

07/18/2024

The final 6 raccoon babies went on a field trip today. Field trips are an important developmental process to help prepare them for life outside of an enclosure. We went deep into the woods and found an amazing tree. After the long trek to the tree, they spent over an hour climbing and exploring and were so exhausted, they eventually settled down for a nap high up in the branches. Since they are not quite ready to be officially released, I had no choice but to lie on the forest floor and wait for them to wake from their slumber so I could guide them safely back home. After about an hour, they began to stir and vocalize that they were hungry. The rustling sound of a bag of grapes (their favorite treat) lured them down to the forest floor for a snack and the long trek home. Needless to say, they are back in their enclosure, fast asleep in their hammock.

07/13/2024

The escape hatch is open and they’re off! I spent over an hour watching the soft released raccoons play up in the tree canopy above their enclosure. Their joy was contagious even from 30 feet above. I will leave the hatch open so they can come and go as they please and return to their enclosure for safety, security and extra food. I will continue to supplement their wild diet for a few more weeks until they decide they are strong enough to live on their own. It is release day that makes all the hard work of being a volunteer wildlife rehabilitator worth every second.

Address

Starksboro, VT

Telephone

802-355-1590

Website

http://howlingmountainwildliferescue.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Howling Mountain Wildlife Rescue posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your organization to be the top-listed Government Service in Starksboro?