Gobble, gobble, gobble,Snood, caruncle, and wattle!No idea what we just said? Keep reading this month’s Critter Corner. ⬇️ As Thanksgiving approaches, turkeys take center stage in our minds and on some of our tables.  But Wild Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)  have been strutting through North America’s landscapes for millennia—long before they became cultural icons. This month, we’re talkin’ turkeys! […]

When one squirrel is released, another arrives! 🔄 🌰 Shortly after we successfully released September’s Patient of the Month, a charming melanistic squirrel, we welcomed yet another unique baby. (Baby season ain’t over til the fat squirrel sings!) Meet Eastern Gray Squirrel 24-984, a slightly asymmetrical yet still adorable patient.  This young male squirrel originally arrived […]

It’s the most magical day of the year: National Opossum Day! 🎉 You might be thinking, “A whole day dedicated to opossums? Really?!” In honor of our most marvelous marsupial neighbors, we’re shining this month’s Critter Corner spotlight on the fascinating Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) so you can learn about just how much these eco-superheroes do. […]

September’s Patient of the Month is small, dark, and handsome. Meet 24-873, a melanistic Eastern Gray Squirrel currently in care at the Sanctuary.  This fascinating baby squirrel arrived at RWS in mid-August after his nest was cut down by some folks doing tree work in Augusta County. Our friends at the Wildlife Center of Virginia transferred […]

This month’s star critter is a bit different than the furry, scaly, and feathery species we’ve featured before. This particular critter is bipedal, speaks French, and greets everyone with a smile and her trademark: “Hey, buddy!” Meet our founder, Nathou Attinger. Nathou announced her retirement from RWS earlier this past spring, and we interviewed her as […]

We’re getting squirrelly at RWS this month as we feature one of Virginia’s most nimble and entertaining residents: the Eastern Gray Squirrel. 🐿* * There is sadly no gray squirrel emoji (yet!), so we’ll settle for a chipmunk for now. Eastern Gray Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are tree squirrels and a common sight in our forests […]

July’s Patient of the Month is a bit more punk rock than most of the species we treat, thanks to their crazy backstory and heavy metal look! 🤘👨‍🎤 Meet Chimney Swift 24-729. Being later season nesters, Chimney Swifts are often the last big wave of orphaned songbirds we get before the baby bird season begins to […]

We are so grateful to everyone who joined us at Paws Are The Cause with Ben Around Tattoos. With your help, we raised (drumroll please)…🥁🥁🥁 We are simply blown away! Did you catch our news coverage on NBC29? Check it out for scenes from the event! From June 29th to 30th, a team of generous […]

There’s one animal we always go particularly hog wild for at RWS! This month, we’re celebrating Virginia’s most spud-like species: the mighty helpful groundhog.