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Some of the baby animals we treated this year to brighten your feed ❤️

#wildliferehab #babyanimals #protectwildlife ... See MoreSee Less

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Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Volunteer Appreciation Event this weekend! We celebrated with donuts and beautiful views at Camp Ocean Pines in Cambria. We’re incredibly lucky to have such a dedicated group of volunteers who give their time, energy, and resources to help wildlife. Whether they’re rescuing or transporting animals, prepping diets and medications, washing dishes, educating the public, or supporting our events, all our volunteers play an essential role in PWC's mission.

Our volunteers’ passion, commitment, and hard work inspire us every day and make a meaningful difference for wildlife in San Luis Obispo County. We couldn’t do it without you!

A big thank you to Assemblymember Dawn Addis who presented PWC with an Assembly Resolution, acknowledging our achievement in conservation and community engagement. We are honored!

We are so grateful to our community and thankful for our volunteers ❤️ ... See MoreSee Less

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As clocks roll back and nights become longer, you may see nocturnal wildlife more frequently 🌘 Here are three nocturnal critters you might see around SLO County:

🌙 Virginia opossums are the only marsupial found in the U.S. They have 50 teeth (more than any other North American mammal!), which they use to munch on a wide variety of foods, including insects, rodents, fruit, and carrion. When threatened, opossums may play dead, hiss and growl, show their teeth, and drool. This can look scary (great defense!), but opossums pose no real danger to humans.

🦨 Striped skunks are also omnivores and eat a variety of garden pests, including beetles, grubs, wasps, and mice. Well-known for their stinky spray, they actually use this as a last resort. When threatened, they stomp their feet, lift their tail, and make hissing sounds to intimidate a predator. If that doesn’t work, their specialized glands spray potent fluid; they have enough for about 5 sprays and it takes ~10 days to regenerate. Skunks are generally pretty slow movers – unfortunately, this means they often end up as roadkill, as drivers may expect them to run off roads faster than they can.

🦉 Great Horned Owls are powerful predators with excellent eyesight and sensitive hearing. They prey on animals of all sizes, from mice and gophers to skunks and other owls. Like other owls, they often eat their prey whole and later regurgitate the indigestible material as a pellet. Listen for their “who-who” hooting at night!

If you see these critters, please give them space and let them be on their way. While nocturnal animals are generally most active at night, you may see them during daylight hours, too.

Keep nocturnal wildlife safe:
👉Do not feed wildlife – bring food inside, including pet food. Cover and secure trash and compost
👉Take extra care while driving at night
👉Keep cats inside
👉Do not trap “nuisance” wildlife
👉Turn off nonessential exterior lights, close curtains to keep interior light inside
👉If you don’t want critters seeking shelter around your home, seal up entry points to attics, sheds, and decks (once you’re sure no animal is in there already, of course!)

#WildlifeFacts #Owl #Opossum #Skunk ... See MoreSee Less