Wildlife Medical Clinic at Illinois

08/22/2026

Check out this hawk talk below to learn about safe ways to co-exist with wildlife.

Wildlife Medical Clinic | College of Veterinary Medicine | University of Illinois Wildlife Medical Clinic at Illinois Found Wildlife? Start Here Make a Gift Request a Visit Care for Illinois native wildlife. Training for future veterinarians. Education for our community. Wildlife Medical Clinic Phon...

08/21/2026

Today we’re taking a closer look at the Garter Snake, also known as the Garden Snake! These little snakes are actually pretty incredible—and they can be a gardener’s best friend!

Here are a few fun facts about this species:
-A smelly defense: When scared, garter snakes can release a foul-smelling liquid called musk from their tails to help deter predators.
-Winter sleepovers: During the winter, hundreds or even thousands of garter snakes can gather together in deep underground dens to stay warm through the cold months.
-A little venom, but no worries: Garter snakes have a mild venom in their saliva that helps them slow down slippery prey like frogs and worms. Luckily, it is completely harmless to humans.
-Nature’s pest control: Garter snakes love eating garden pests like slugs, snails, and insects, making them a helpful and natural addition to your garden ecosystem.

So, the next time you spot a garter snake in your garden, remember: that little snake may just be helping you out!

08/20/2026

Patient 26-1699, a young Canada goose, presented to the clinic on July 14th, thin and with fishing line wrapped around its right leg. The line was deeply embedded in its leg and had to be surgically removed. After some cage rest, several bandage changes, and a few medications (antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and pain medication) it made a full recovery.

We continued to monitor for a few more days after medication was stopped and bandages were removed. During this time, we also moved it to a larger enclosure to make sure it could ambulate appropriately and this also gave us time to feed it up a little more and get it in better body condition before it was released.

We are happy to say that after about 2 weeks in the clinic, this individual was given a clean bill of health and a green light for release. On July 30th, it was released back to the location it was originally found!

08/19/2026

For today's , if you guessed Bald Eagle, you were correct.

Pictured below is our resident Bald Eagle, River. If you would like to learn more about River and our other resident ambassador animals, check out the Wildlife Medical Clinic webpage at https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wildlife/ambassador-animals/.

08/19/2026

For this , can you guess which animal this eye belongs to?

Check back after 5pm to see if you guessed correctly!

08/18/2026

Patient 26-1812 is a Ruby-throated Hummingbird fledgling that presented to us on July 26 with matted, damp feathers. This tiny patient was first found stuck in a pond and was brought to us the following morning. A quick exam showed no visible injuries or illness, just poor feather condition with lots of matted feathers.

After a couple of days with several warm baths and light scrubbing with a mascara wand, its feather condition was much improved. We held it for another day to monitor more closely and ensure it was able to fly without issue. No further issues were seen, it was eating well and gaining weight in our care, it flew and hovered without issue, so this patient was given a clean bill of health and a green light for release.

On July 30th, four days after it arrived at the clinic, it was released back into the wild at the location it was originally found!

08/17/2026

Happy !

To start off the week, we will be introducing our WMC ambassador intern, Deborah Murphy! Deborah is a rising second-year student interested in zoo and small animal emergency medicine. She has been enjoying her time with the ambassadors this summer and has achieved one of her summer goals, which was to have more confidence handling reptiles!

08/15/2026

Not everyday do we get to care for one of Illinois' most elusive wild cats! When this young bobcat arrived after reportedly being hit by a car, our team knew we had a unique patient, and a mystery to solve.

Read on to learn more about his time at the Wildlife Medical Clinic and how our team helped get him back where he belongs!

We had a bobcat come through the clinic at the end of last year. Learn about this patient and its journey back to the wild.

08/14/2026

Cooper's Hawk are some of the smaller hawk species observed in Illinois. (Sharp-shinned Hawk being the smallest and Broad-winged Hawk coming in a close second.)

Cooper's Hawk nest in deciduous trees and lay between two and five eggs, feeding their hatchlings an average of eleven prey items per day!

08/13/2026

Patient 26-1548, a hatch-year Red-Tailed Hawk, arrived at the Wildlife Medical Clinic in poor body condition, with visible nodules/plaques in her crop, and after further evaluation, was found to have circumferential lesions surrounding her esophagus. Based on these findings, she was suspected to have trichomoniasis, a disease caused by a parasite that can create painful lesions in the mouth and throat and make eating difficult.

Because the lesions made it increasingly difficult to pass a feeding tube through her esophagus, our team placed an esophagostomy tube to safely provide nutrition and support her recovery. After continued care, the tube was eventually removed, and she began eating whole prey on her own again!

However, she encountered another challenge. Pt 26-1548 was having difficulty producing a cast after eating. (Casts or pellets are the undigested food parts like bones, fur, feathers, or insect exoskeletons that a birds cough up or regurgitate after they have eaten.) To help open her narrowed esophagus, our veterinary team performed a fluoroscopic esophageal balloon dilation.

The procedure was successful and since then, 26-1548 has been doing very well, and most importantly, she successfully produced a cast after a meal!

We’re thrilled with her progress and will continue to monitor her closely as she works toward a full recovery!