N.S. wildlife centre inundated with calls to assist animals during wildfires

The wildfire situation in Nova Scotia is leading to an increase in calls for animals who are displaced and distressed, says Hope Swinimer with Hope For Wildlife Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation.

Earlier this week, two newborn deer were delivered to the facility from Shelburne County where they were trapped in the wildfire which is now being held but had already burned and reached 23,525 hectares in size, or about 235 square kilometres.

The deer which have been named "Ember" and "Ash" are resting peacefully at Hope for Wildlife, they've been there a week already and adjusting well, said Swinimer.

"The police and the firefighters tried to get the deer to move out but they wouldn't and they kept moving back towards the fire," said Swinimer. "So they gathered them up and brought them here which is the best thing for them."

Swinimer says the deer are strong and healthy and suspects they're around two weeks old and they're not alone either, as others have joined them.

"They have each other but we also have eight or ten others in there with them now," said Swinimer.

A pair of young rescued deer are fed milk from a bottle at the Hope for Wild Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Seaforth, N.S. (Jesse Thomas/CTV News)

The young deer will remain at the rehabilitation centre until fall when they will be released as an entire herd into the wild.

But there's not just young deer being brought to the rescue and rehabilitation centre either, there are other animals displaced, including several raccoons.

Hope for Wildlife has been inundated with calls - to help animals displaced by the fires, but sadly she says many would not have survived the wildfires.

"It's incredibly sad and a bad time of year because all the babies are being born and we knew there would be no chance for babies and fledgling birds to ever survive a fire of that magnitude," she said.

Swinimer says they are also receiving a lot of calls for animals being hit by cars on the road and she says it's important to be extra vigilant of wildlife that is trying to find their way.

Several racoons are being cared for at the Hope for Wild Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Seaforth, N.S. (Jesse Thomas/ CTV News)

"We always say be careful at dawn and dusk but now be careful anytime, because there's a lot of displaced animals because they have no home, no shelter and they have no food supply ... a fire takes years for wildlife to recover from it will be a very long process."

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