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Sanctuary News
Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
November 2006
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Greetings!

It has been an exciting month at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation. The winds are starting to chill and the shift in weather has been reflected in the hundreds of calls we have fielded from area residents trying to live humanely with their non-human neighbors as these wild creatures search for warmth and sustenance. You will find a few of our recent changes included in this newsletter. Others are only known to the hearts and minds of our cherished animal friends who, after traumas and separations, are rediscovering their natural stride in the stable and gentle environment that is Wildlife Rescue.

macaque
About three months ago Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation took in several Rhesus Macaques, newly freed from the cruel confines of their former “careers” as laboratory test monkeys. After more than two months of observation and treatment, the three macaques were successfully released into expansive, open air enclosures. Two, including the male pictured here, now enjoy ambling over grassland, playground equipment and a twisting live oak. During cold weather they are able to retreat into propane-heated shelters to keep warm.

Native to India, Afghanistan and China, Rhesus Macaques can live for up to 25 years, and aside from eating the occasional insect and small animal are almost exclusively vegetarian. Unfortunately, these beautiful monkeys are well-known to the scientific community and have been used for decades for laboratory “experiments” – for many of which the outcomes are already well understood. Former lab monkeys come to WRR from around the country.

Harman and Shaman
As Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation approaches its 30th Birthday, Founder Lynn Cuny has decided it is time to expand its mission to include direct advocacy and lobbying for non-human animals. From the cruelties of factory farming to the failings of many animal control agencies, from exotic animal exploitation and the benefits of plant-based diets, WRR is out to tackle a range of issues that don’t often find time in the public spotlight. “Now is the time to bring these important matters to the public’s attention,” says Cuny. “The level of animal suffering in modern society is beyond what most of us know or can imagine. My faith in humanity is such that I believe that as more people learn about this their empathy will grow and the suffering will decline.”

Thanks to a grant from the Hollomon Price Foundation, WRR began to strengthen its education and outreach activities about one year ago. Now, with the hire of veteran journalist Gregory Harman (pictured at left with the "Shaman" of Seminole Canyon State Park), WRR is preparing to become an even stronger advocate for the hoofed, fanged and feathered that enrich our lives. Harman has written for papers from Las Vegas, Nev., to Biloxi, Miss., but the bulk of his work has been here in Texas – excelling especially in his coverage of the natural environment. A recipient of numerous press awards, Harman recently received a Lone Star Award for news reporting and was selected in 1999 as the state Sierra Club’s environmental reporter of the year.
They’ve been the recipients of millions upon millions of federal and state dollars – but this is anything but aid money. These dollars are doled out in steel traps, poison pellets and deadly bullets as part of “predator control” programs, but for some reason the intelligent coyotes haven’t gotten the message. While past federal policies have driven some larger mammals to the brink of extinction, coyotes seem to have adapted to become more a part of our urban, suburban and countrified lifestyles than ever before. They snoop around our garbage cans, play and yelp in the night behind our homes, and, from time to time, cart little Fifi away to an untimely fate.

Most human-coyote conflict occurs when people unintentionally provide the wild animals a food source. So before you resort to traps or bullets yourself, try these easy steps to keep your property coyote free: Do not Feed Wildlife; Secure Your Garbage; Fence Your Garden; and Trim Up Overgrown Areas. If you aren’t having problems with the coyote in your neighborhood – if they are suitably wary of humans – put them out of your mind. Trapping and removing such an animal only opens up territory for a new one, one that may not have the natural fear of people and their property they should.

wild ride graphic
The 17th Annual Win a Wild Ride to Save Wildlife will be held at the San Antonio Museum of Art on Thursday, April 5, 2007, from 6:00–9:00 p.m. This gala evening is a fundraiser with an especially good feel to it with live music by jazz combo, Small World, food and beverages from several of San Antonio's finest restaurants, breweries, and wineries, live and silent auctions and the highlight of the evening — a drawing for a luxury 2007 Lexus ES350 automobile!

Get Your Tickets Now! A $250 ticket includes one chance to win the 2007 Lexus ES350 and admission for two to the gala event. Enjoy the food, music, and auctions — and maybe you will be the lucky winner! We print only 350 tickets, so purchase early. Supplies are limited. A $40 ticket includes admission for one to the gala. Enjoy the food, music, live and silent auctions, and all-around good cheer of this festive event!
With more than 600 permanent resident wild animals and a constantly revolving array of injured wildlife, WRR's work never ends. To keep that work going requires an enormous amount of energy, determination and resources. Just like the many children preparing their wish lists this time of year, WRR volunteers and staff have a long list in mind, as well. So do the animals under their care. Needs roll quickly off the tongue of Volunteer Coordinator Kathylee Cammorata: “Meats, vegetables, fruits and sheets, and edibles of all sorts.”

Food in general is a safe holiday gift for the animals of WRR. Natural peanut butter and jelly; Science Diet or Iams puppy and cat food – even Cheerios – are all appreciated by the animals living here at the sanctuary. There’s also an expanding online store at WRR. You can find a special gift for the animal love in your life.

Please feel free to share our newsletter with family and friends! Thank you for supporting Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation.

Sincerely,


Angela Grimes, Director of Operations
Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation

phone: 830-336-2725