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ARK
provides educational programs and presentations to help the public
understand and coexist with native Virginia wildlife. ARK
educators can teach you the behavior and habitats of the animals in
your area. All proceeds go to the rehabilitation of native
Virginia wildlife.
Meet some of our ambassadors who at times attend our programs.
| Bo Nita the American Kestrel
- Bo Nita is Ark's female kestrel. Not really a hawk, although it is
often called a sparrow hark, she is a falcon. She came to ARK as a
small baby and has a deformed foot which keeps her from landing
properly or catching food. She is also called a bird of prey or a raptor. She loves to have a bath when you spray her off with a water bottle. She enjoys
eating meal worms as a treat. |
Bobby & Bobbiet Bobwhite
- Bobby our male bobwhite or quail has a black head. Bobbiet our female
has the brown head. Bobby came to ARK when he was found in a parking
lot, his wings had been clipped so he could not fly or avoid
predators. Bobbiet came to ARK when she was a baby following people
around their yard all alone; they thought she was a baby turkey. Bobby
and Bobbiet are a couple mating for life; they want to be together at
all times. |
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| Brutus Opossum
- Brutus came to ARK as a baby the size of your finger. His mother had
somehow eaten poison. His mother and three siblings died immediately,
but luckily Brutus survived. Brutus sleeps all
day and gets up around dusk; he sleeps in a child's sleeping bag and
likes to stay warm. Opossums are not on the rabies list in Virginia,
but you do not want to get bit since they have 52 teeth. They are
often called a living fossil since they were here with the dinosaurs.
Unfortunately, opossums only live about two years. They are the only
marsupial in the United States which means they have a pouch for
carrying babies. | | Chester the Screech Owl(Gray
phase) - Chester arrived at Ark as a small fluffy baby when the tree he
lived in was cut down. Chester is imprinted and doesn't have the
skills to survive in the wild. He only weighs 6 ounces. Chester is
very very vocal at night making several different sounds. He is very
photogenic and has even been on TV. Most people think Chester is a
baby because he is small, but he an adult. |
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| Melanie the Flying Squirrel
- Ark's flying squirrel was rescued from a cat attack. When cats
attack an animal or bird it is always life threatening. Melanie had
trouble breathing and using her front legs, she did recover somewhat
but could not survive in the wild. She is nocturnal and wakes up around
7pm and starts looking for food. Her fur is
very soft like silk and she has big round eyes. | | Grace the Barred Owl
- It was late Halloween night when Grace was brought to ARK. She was
hit by a truck and later found under the truck hood. By the time she
came to ARK she had lost a lot of weight and was emaciated. Her wing
was broken in five places and she had a severe eye injury. Even though
she went through a lot of rehab, the wing did not heal well enough for
her to be released. She is now healthy and makes a good ambassador for
ARK. Barred owls eat small rodents and snakes. |
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| Toby the Box Turtle
– A good Samaritan rescued Toby when he was only the size of a nickel
from the beak of a crow The story was, the crow was pecking at his
shell and tossing him around the yard. She raised him to the size he
is now and donated Toby to ARK for use in our educational programs
because he could not be released back into the wild. |
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| Amber the Great Horned Owl -
This lovely lady was found alone at the bottom of a tree when she was
just the size of a puff ball. That was way too young to be out of
the nest. The rescuer brought her to ARK where it was discovered
she had sight problems. Amber is going blind and will never be
releasable so has joined our educational department as an ambassador to
help teach the public about wildlife. Great Horned Owls are the
biggest predator of the skunk. They also eat rodents, and snakes. |
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Welcome to Area Rehabbers Klub