It takes a village to raise a child — and to rescue wildlife.
There is a dedicated, informal team of people in the Orillia area who do just that.
Krystal Hewitt is the owner/operator of Speaking of Wildlife, a facility just north of Orillia that provides permanent sanctuary to more than 40 non-releasable wild animals. Hewitt is often called by people who spot an animal in distress.
“For the most part, we are the organization that people recognize cares to some degree about wildlife. We get the initial call because people don’t know who to call. From there, often we can direct people to a rehab centre or resources, or sometimes, depending, we can assist with actually containing the animal for transport,” said Hewitt.
“We usually say we have a specific skill set. We know how to catch things like geese, swans, foxes and skunks. These are wildlife that the average person won’t know what to do with … or they don’t want a skunk in the car.”
Once the animal is contained, sometimes by Hewitt and sometimes by other wildlife experts in the area, it is usually transported to Shades of Hope, a rehab centre in Pefferlaw, where it is assessed and then, hopefully, treated and re-released into the wild.
Sometimes an animal can’t be released into the wild due to traumatic injury or being too human-habituated, and then it might come full circle, back to Hewitt and her team at Speaking of Wildlife. Pixie was one such bird.
“Pixie, the kestrel, was hit by a car when she was a fledgling. She had an injury to her eye, so she was partially blind in that eye. She got used to the caregivers and being cared for by people, so that gave her a second chance. She ended up in our care, as she can travel and teach people,” said Hewitt.
“I met the people who found her. I was telling her story at an event and had these doe-eyed listeners, and right after the event, they said they were pretty sure they were the ones who had picked up that bird.”
There are many volunteers and friends of wildlife in the Orillia area. The Ontario Trumpeter Swans Facebook page is active around Lake Couchiching, especially in the Washago area. Lots of local retirees and wildlife lovers help the swans by observing, keeping tabs, and alerting group members if any swans run into trouble or look unwell.
Deb Halbot, Susan and David Best are three of the volunteers with the group. Halbot loves to use her photography skills to document the swans and any rescue attempts for which she is present.
A recent dramatic lake rescue involved Hewitt and David Best rescuing a cygnet with fishing line in its mouth, which was spotted by another volunteer, Meg Leslie, of Orillia.
The cygnet was taken by volunteers to Shades of Hope for an overnight stay and an X-ray to make sure there was no evidence of a hook or, worse, lead weights. Once the cygnet was given the all-clear, it was released by Halbot and Joy Poyntz, another volunteer.
“I love a happy ending,” Halbot said.
“Speaking of Wildlife and Shades of Hope are integral parts of the ongoing conservation of Ontario trumpeter swans. A swan in need due to injury or illness can rely on Krystal Hewitt and her team at Speaking of Wildlife to assist in a rescue," Halbot explained.
"Once captured, the bird is then transported via volunteers to Shades of Hope in Pefferlaw, where assessment, medical care and rehabilitation can take place — with hopes of a successful release back to the flock. It truly takes a team.”
Hewitt cautioned it is always best to reach out to an expert before attempting any kind of wildlife rescue or approaching injured wildlife.
“That way, no one gets hurt, including the wildlife,” she said.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Ontario Wildlife Rescue website are resources Hewitt recommends.
