It’s been a busy year for Procyon Wildlife Centre. Saving baby racoons, skunks, foxes and more keeps the five staff and 175 volunteers on their toes. But it’s worth it, said Debra Spilar, executive director of Procyon. “I always tell my volunteers, ‘you’re saving a life’,” said Spilar. In the last week alone, the shelter has been able to release grown litters of babies and injured animals back into the wild. All 200-plus of them, said Spilar. “We just got a second litter of raccoons in,” she said, explaining some mothers have their first litter in April and give birth again in the fall. The new raccoons are just four weeks old, so they won’t be released at 12 weeks per usual, as it would be too cold outside, she said. The wildlife centre has been open - and Spilar’s been running it with the help of volunteers - who offer animal care, phone care and even grant writing.
