Kawartha Wildlife Centre
After fall migration is over, and most birds have flown to find warm refuge further south, mammals are left to either brave the cold or hunker down for hibernation.
One of the most remarkable animals in Canada is the Southern flying Squirrel, able to glide between trees using extra skin present between its limbs that act as a sail. This flying squirrel woke her finders in the early morning hours after making her way inside their house and ‘gliding around the room’! Southern flying squirrels do not hibernate throughout the winter so they nest together in groups consisting of family and neighbours in treetop cavities to stay warm, and sometimes they find their way into attic spaces seeking radiant warmth. As soon as weather permits, she will return to her neighbourhood to reunite with her colony. In the meantime, she is being housed and kept comfortable in temperature controlled conditions in an effort to replicate her winter nesting environment.
If you have contained a flying squirrel (or any other animal!) from inside your home, garage or workshop during the winter, contact Kawartha Wildlife Centre or another authorized wildlife custodian before releasing it to ensure it is safe to do so. If you are concerned about nesting animals in your attic spaces during the winter, please do not attempt to trap and relocate them. Not only is it illegal to relocate wildlife in most situations in Ontario, it leaves them vulnerable to the elements, unfamiliar territory and predators, and risks spreading diseases that can negatively affect the health of wild populations.
To support wildlife in need, please consider making a donation this season:
www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/33851
Info@KawarthaWildlifeCentre.ca
705-292-9211
