CROW - Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc.

06/16/2026

A tiny turtle hatchling was moments away from becoming a bird's lunch when a Cape Coral resident stepped in. 🐢 She rescued the hatchling and brought it to our hospital at CROW.

This is a peninsula cooter, a freshwater species commonly found in Florida's lakes and marshes. Our veterinarians found that the turtle (patient 26-2470) had suffered some trauma to its eyes, causing swelling and discharge that made it difficult for veterinarians to see the extent of the injury.

After a week of treatment, the swelling had gone down and the discharge around the eyes had cleared. With its eyes healed and vision restored, the hatchling was medically cleared for release and returned to a pond near where it was originally found!

Believe it or not, this turtle hatchling is fully independent. Although they are more vulnerable due to their small size and slower speed, hatchlings are capable of finding food, shelter, and habitat on their own.

Contact a wildlife rehabilitator IF:
➡ you accidentally dug up a nest of turtle eggs ⚪
➡ your pet caught a turtle 🐶🐱
➡ a turtle is visibly injured or sick 🌡🤕

06/15/2026

Father’s Day is just around the corner! Find the perfect gift at our online shop, or stop by to browse our selection. We’ve got baseball caps, sun shirts for fishing trips and beach days, cozy CROW hoodies, and much more.

Remember, your gift gives back. Every purchase helps provide lifesaving care for our wildlife patients. You can make a difference for Florida’s native wildlife just by choosing to shop here.

Visit crowclinic.org/shop/ to find the perfect gift, or swing by our shop on Sanibel! We’re open Mon-Fri from 10-4.

06/13/2026

These unmistakable green feet belong to our common gallinule chicks!

The chicks made their way into our care after being found without their mother and suffering from a severe eye disease.

All of the chicks displayed the same alarming symptoms, including heavy discharge that completely covered their eyes, making it difficult for our team to fully assess the extent of the infection or evaluate their vision.

The chicks were weak and vulnerable, requiring intensive care and close monitoring from our team — but our effort has begun to pay off! We're really encouraged to see that the chicks' condition has been steadily improving. 🙌

06/12/2026

Happy Freedom Friday! Today we are celebrating the release of a young osprey. 🙌

It is always remarkable to watch young birds learn how to fly. Did you know that after leaving the nest, young ospreys often spend several weeks refining their flying and hunting skills? During this important learning period, they continue to rely on food provided by their parents while developing the strength, coordination, and experience necessary to survive on their own.

This osprey (patient 26-2008), was brought to CROW by rescuers concerned about his limited flying skills. We believe he was still learning to fly, as he was otherwise healthy.

We housed him in one of our outdoor rehabilitation enclosures where he could safely continue strengthening his flight abilities. During his stay, he received nutritional support and was monitored to ensure he maintained a healthy body condition.

Finally, our team cleared him for release, where he made a beautiful flight back into the wild. He even circled back around to take a quick dip in a nearby pond, taking good care of those vital new flight feathers!

06/10/2026

These crochet nests were made in memory of a CROW volunteer, Kyla Love Hayden. We had the privilege of working with Kyla in 2023.

Kyla passed unexpectedly in 2024. Today, June 10th, would be her 24th birthday.

Our team was incredibly moved to receive four handmade nests from Sara Hayden, Kyla’s mother, all labeled with a simple tag: “In Memory of Kyla Love.” It is very fitting that these nests will be used to comfort and protect the injured and orphaned baby animals in our care.

To read more about this donation and the Hayden family, visit https://crowclinic.org/about-crow/in-the-news/in-the-news/wildlife-nests-made-with-love-for-love/

*Please note: thanks to the incredible outpouring of support, we have reached capacity for handmade nests this year.*

06/08/2026

Every release is exciting, but some are a little more laid-back than others! This Northern raccoon was moving on island time 🏖️☀️ Still, he knew exactly what to do, and headed confidently back into the wild.

06/07/2026

Can you name this pretty species just from this headshot? Hints below!

💡Hint 1: This hardy bird can be found on six continents! 🌎They also breed much farther North than other similar species.

💡Hint 2: These are shorebirds who spend much of their time running along beaches and flats.

💡Hint 3: This is the largest of the North American plover species.

Drop your guesses in the comments! 👇

06/05/2026

Happy Freedom Friday to this grackle, who had an incredible turnaround!

After being rescued from a roadside, our veterinarians found that the patient had severe neurologic symptoms suggesting head trauma — the bird was unable to stand, and could only roll itself in circles.

Our team quickly began treatment to give this grackle (patient 26-1982) a fighting chance, including supportive care, anti-inflammatories, and pain management.

Thanks to our team’s hard work, we saw rapid improvement; the neurological signs resolved and the grackle began eating independently! We moved the patient to an outdoor enclosure for further assessment before release.

Here are some fun grackle facts!
➡️These yellow-eyed blackbirds are often mistaken for crows, but are more closely related to orioles and meadowlarks.
➡️Grackles are very social, and can often be seen foraging in flocks on the ground.
➡️We have admitted over 100 common grackles this year, many of which were chicks!

06/04/2026

Summer camps are almost here, and scholarships are available!

Looking for a summer experience that inspires curiosity, creativity, and a love for wildlife? CROW’s Wildlife Conservation Summer Camp gives students a hands-on opportunity to explore the world of wildlife medicine, conservation, and rehabilitation.

Campers will meet animal ambassadors, tour our hospital, and participate in engaging activities focused on wildlife ecology and conservation.

Visit https://crowclinic.org/education/special-programs/camps/conservation-summer-camp/ for applications, dates, and more info.

06/03/2026

CROW's dedicated volunteers were featured on WGCU Public Media! Click below to watch.

Thank you to volunteers Merry, Jim, and Jeannie for representing CROW so well! We're so grateful to have such a spectacular team of volunteers. 💚

(Please note that this segment was recorded before we reached nest capacity, and we are no longer in need of nest donations).

The care and quality of life for all animals is an important missio...