My experience at Critter Care Wildlife Society has been one I will never forget. There have been times of extreme stress and exhaustion during baby season, but it has always been balanced out with fun and laughter. The people at the centre, interns and supervisors included, were friendly and welcoming. The close living situation and kindness of others made me feel as if we were our own family.

I’m most thankful for the valuable knowledge I have gained from the supervisors about caring for wildlife. From the day I arrived at the centre, I was learning so many new things about the animals and the things they need to survive. I have witnessed times where humans and medicine can really change the lives of some of these animals; and I have also seen times where nature has it’s own plan. It’s been very sobering to see the latter, but it is important to understand and learn what the best course of action is for the animal in times of distress.

I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to work with the fawns this season. They were difficult animals to take care of at times, but very rewarding. I was amazed at the beauty and disposition of these animals. Looking after babies provided me with lots of responsibility and in turn, taught me some discipline. You are on a tight feeding schedule with them and you are often checking on them to make sure they have enough food, etc. Both the raccoons and the fawns taught me to be tougher, as I had to endure being kicked, bitten, and scratched multiple times on a daily basis. I’m glad I got to work with raccoons in pretty much all their stages of growth, from babies with their eyes closed, to “growlies”, to adult raccoons. Raising the babies I was given with their eyes closed was a very different experience compared to working with older raccoons. I really felt like their “mom” as they treated me so much different than the others. They would jump onto my lap while the older ones were afraid of me.

Working at Critter Care is a great way to learn responsibility and accountability as you are given multiple tasks every day such as cooking chicken or cleaning the house, and you are expected to complete them to help all of the other interns and keep the centre running smoothly. It’s excellent practice working as a team. Overall I feel like working here has helped me grow as a person and taught me valuable life lessons.

I have always had a soft spot for animals and my time at Critter Care has only made my love for them grow. Regardless of the hard work and time it takes to care for wild animals, I know it’s something I would love to do again in the future.

Forever grateful,

Georgina McBride