Winter Widlife Care

People sometimes ask how the animals living outside at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center cope with winter weather like we are experiencing today. In the most recent issue of WREN (Winter 2007 - Wildlife Rehabilitation Eduction Newsletter), Rehab Coordinator Megan Tadiello explained that all of the animals who live year round in our Wildlife Gardens, excluding the domestic rabbits, are native to Ohio and accustomed to our winter season. With the exception of the groundhog and the Turkey vulture, all the animals are active in Northern Ohio during the winter as well. Our groundhog goes into hibernation, which is why you'll see insulation on the front of the glass burrow in the winter. Turkey vultures from Northern Ohio migrate, but some only as far as Southern Ohio. We regularly examine all the raptors to make sure they are healthy and fit. If we believed the winter weather posed a threat to an animal's survival due to age or illness, we would move that animal indoors. We provide adequate shelter in all our enclosure designs, which allows the animal to get out of the elements, if needed. Our exhibit animals are also better fit than their wild relatives because they are well fed and free of disease, making them more physically able to handle the harsh weather conditions.