WAYNESBORO, Va. (WFXR) -- While many Americans are preparing turkey and cranberry sauce on Thursday, the staff at the Wildlife Center of Virginia are whipping up some more unconventional Thanksgiving meals to feed a group of 112 furry, feathered, and scaly guests.
According to the wildlife center, a total of eight staff members and students were at the facility on Wednesday, Nov. 24 to care for 92 patients and 20 education animals.
One group will reportedly be preparing and delivering meals, cleaning enclosures, and updating patient records.
"While 112 may seem like a large guest list, this will be a fairly 'easy' day compared to this summer when we had nearly 300 patients to serve!" the Wildlife Center of Virginia said in a statement Wednesday.
Instead of a traditional Thanksgiving meal, the crew at the wildlife center will make dozens of specific dietary dishes in order to cater to each species' needs and each patient's particular desires.
While the rehabbers are busy in the kitchen, Dr. Emily and her team will go through morning treatments for patients in need of medications, bandage changes, daily checks, or other medical procedures. And they’ll be ready for any new patients that might arrive -- always a possibility, any day of the year. By the time the staff go home to their Thanksgiving dinners, all 112 animals will be fed, watered, and cared for.
The Center is able to provide quality healthcare to wild animals in need through the generosity and support of caring individuals. We send you our best wishes for a wonderful holiday. Our patients are thankful for your support … and we are too!
Wildlife Center of Virginia
The wildlife center provided the following guest list for Thanksgiving Day:
- Five American Black Bears
- One American Crow
- Two American Kestrels
- Four Bald Eagles
- Four Barred Owls
- One Black Vulture
- One Cooper's Hawk
- One Cornsnake
- Four Deer Mice
- One Eastern Fox Squirrel
- 18 Eastern Gray Squirrels
- One Eastern Hog-nosed Snake
- One Eastern Painted Turtle
- Four Eastern Ratsnakes
- Five Eastern Screech-Owls
- Three Great Horned Owls
- One Gyrfalcon
- Three Hermit Thrushes
- One Mourning Dove
- One Peregrine Falcon
- One Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Four Red-shouldered Hawks
- Nine Red-tailed Hawks
- One Russian Tortoise
- One Snapping Turtle
- Four Virginia Opossums
- One Western Hog-nosed Snake
- One White-throated Sparrow
- 27 Woodland Box Turtles
- One Yellow-bellied Slider
You can check out the Wildlife Center of Virginia's "Rehabber Recipe cards" or make a donation to the organization by following this link.
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