[Video courtesy of the New Canaan Fire Department.]
New Canaan firefighters and the head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section on Wednesday morning rescued orphaned raccoons from a Main Street residence, officials said.
A homeowner phoned Animal Control on Tuesday night to report the baby raccoons crying on her property, and the following morning found that one of the three young animals was on the ground while two others were stuck up in a tree, officials said.
Their mom likely had been struck and killed by a car, according to Officer Allyson Halm, head of Animal Control.
As per the instructions on Animal Control’s after-hours voicemail, the homeowner brought the baby raccoon she found to Weston-based nonprofit organization Wildlife In Crisis. A second one of the babies fell from the tree as firefighters arrived at the scene Wednesday morning, according to Halm. That animal fell into pachysandra and appeared to be OK, though no official word on the raccoon’s health has been received, Halm said.
A firefighter climbed the tree to rescue the third baby raccoon (see video above).
“This is the time of year when orphaned wildlife will be spotted,” Halm told NewCanaanite.com. “A mother duck was killed on Smith Ridge Road yesterday [Tuesday], and unfortunately we could not find the ducklings, though they were reported. If baby raccoons are alone, then they are orphaned. Mom would not leave them. In case of fawns, the opposite is true—the mom does leave. Most mammals will be with their young, protecting them.”
In the case of the Main Street baby raccoons, Wildlife In Crisis—which is donor-supported—will care for the animals until they’re ready to fend for themselves, then will strategically re-release them into an area where there are sufficient natural resources, Halm said.
My family and I are consistently reminded of what a great community we live in. As a parent it was heartbreaking to see these orphaned baby raccoon siblings in a bad spot. And not knowing where to turn Allyson Halm was an amazing resource, she not only is extremely knowledgeable, but a truly caring and lovely person. As usual, the fire department acted selflessly and efficiently to take care of the job at hand and they completed their mission successfully. And we came in contact with Wildlife in Crisis for the first time. What an amazing place. They care for those creatures who can’t care for themselves. When my wife entered their facility, she was greeted by a seagull walking the hall and a group of compassionate animal lovers who set about to care for a tiny raccoon in serious trouble. We learned that Wildlife in Crisis is run completely by volunteers and it depends entirely on donations. Each year they care for over 5,000 injured or orphaned wildlife animals and return them to their habitat. Their website is http://www.wildlifeincrisis.org if you would like to learn more about the organization.