creatureswhomwelove

Creatures

Whom We Love

**** A Certified Urban Wildlife Sanctuary ****

Buddy is believed to be Callie's brother, also a child of Sunshine. When first observed, he was living in the hollow of a double oak tree deep in the woods, about 150 yards form the house. I found his home by tracking in a snow in 2005. Since then, he has gradually become more trusting and has made his home in a blanket lined box on the sheltered front porch. Most days he chooses to come inside the house to eat! But when done, he makes known his wish to exit.

A deer family eats at the edge of the back yard.

Cricket and his sister Katie like the warm sun in the "Sun Room."

A young rabbit ventures from the ferns in the front yard.

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From time to time, Groundhogs make a pest of themselves and a live trap is used to catch the offenders. However, sometimes other animals are lured in and become trapped as we see with the raccoon and skunk who were released. And no, we did not get sprayed by the skunk!

Callie appeared at the backyard water pond when she was about four or five weeks old in 2001. We believe that she was brought to us by Sunshine,her father. Her mother was never seen! She is shown when she was four years old in 2005, doing what cats do best, napping.

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If fortunate, animals may select us to receive their love. Sunshine was such a creature of the woods who chose to become semi-domesticated when he was about four years old in 2001. He is shown here in Aubrey's lap in July 2006, a month before he was killed by a pack of wild, roaming dogs.

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Butterflies are attracted to the butterfly bushes, most of which are loacted in the "Deck Garden."

Uno, the box turtle, is so named because after seeing her visit often, we placed one small dot of white-out on her back. So far, she has been around for at least two years. We understand that she may range only a hundred yards in her lifetime! In this picture, she sniffs Charlotte's fingers.

This little Chipmunk was making a regular venture into the kitchen garden in June 2007 for sunflower seeds.

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Many creatures share this home with us and they include: deer, wild turkey, gray fox, raccoon, ground hog, opossum, squirrel, chipmunk, voles, skunk, bob cat, black bear, skinks, box turtle, rabbit, butterflies, and more.