Latest news with #Pefferlaw
CTV News
07-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Wildlife refuge overflowing with orphaned skunks
Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge in Pefferlaw, Ont. shared a post on social media July 5, 2025, about its influx of orphaned baby skunks. There's a strong scent of summer at Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge, and it's not the flowers. The refuge says it's currently caring for a surge in orphaned baby skunks, and the telltale smell is becoming a regular part of life around the nursery. In a light-hearted post on social media titled 'Skunked!' staff at the wildlife centre shared an update on the growing number of black and white furballs they are caring for. 'It's a familiar aroma around our nursery at the moment," the post reads. 'Over the last few weeks our skunk numbers have increased to 86 orphans in care.' Staff shared some good news: some of the skunks have grown big enough to be moved into outdoor enclosures, which will help ease the pressure inside and, hopefully, the air quality as well. 'We will be doing some shuffling this weekend,' the post finished. The registered charity provides care for injured and orphaned wildlife with the goal of returning them to their natural habitat. The organization, located in Pefferlaw within the Town of Georgina near Lake Simcoe, is not open to the public but relies heavily on donations and volunteer support for the hundreds of animals in its care, including over 300 orphaned wild babies.
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Critically injured snake overcomes odds after 7 months of care
A critically injured garter snake is treated at the Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge in Pefferlaw, Ont. Let's face it, snakes aren't everyone's cup of tea, but one rural Ontario refuge is celebrating the miraculous recovery of a male garter snake named Carl. According to Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge, Carl was found in critical condition on a rural property in September 2024 after a predator attack. The snake had extensive wounds, including a large gash from the base of his head to his belly, exposed ribs, and a mangled tail. Dr. Wendy and her team at Shades of Hope in Pefferlaw sprang into action, providing Carl with intensive wound care, pain therapy, and antibiotics. For nearly three months, Carl required daily care and weekly check-ups. Garter Snake A critically injured garter snake is treated at the Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge in Pefferlaw, Ont. (Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge) 'One of the biggest challenges we faced was getting Carl to eat," the refuge noted in a social media post. 'Since the wounds on his neck caused constriction as they healed, he had difficulty swallowing food.' The team worked around this by starting him on small prey and gradually increasing the size to help stretch the scar tissue. After seven months of care, Carl made a full recovery. By February, the refuge reported his wounds had healed, and he was eating whole prey. In May, Carl was deemed ready for release, which the team initially never thought would be possible. 'He survived a predator attack, had fully healed two devastating wound sites, lost portions of two ribs, overcome widespread infection and survived severe dehydration,' the post continued. 'We opened his box, gave it a tip, and he exploded out ready to be a wild snake once more, only after turning back to say thank-you one last time to his rescuers.'
