Chatting with Don Cote at the Duck Pond Wildlife Center is always enjoyable. Don has years of interesting experiences and his stories are touched with a sense of humor, as well as extensive personal knowledge and an obvious love for animals. I thought I’d mention a few of them this month. Earlier this year, Don Read More
Critter Chatter
Critter Chatter is published in the Town Line newspaper and reprinted on the Nature of Maine blog. This column is written by NRCM member Jayne Winters of South China and highlights the wildlife rehabilitation work of Donald Cote of Vassalboro, Maine, at the Duck Pond Wildlife Center.
Critter Chatter – Three Little Kittens, Part II
When I stopped by to talk to Don Cote at the Duck Pond Wildlife Center today about this month’s column, I was surprised to find all but one carrier empty of critters! Usually there are a variety of newly admitted chipmunks, squirrels, skunks, possums, and young porcupines or raccoons in small cages or carriers in Read More
Critter Chatter – Fall Freedom!
This is the time of year many critters are released from the Duck Pond Wildlife Center, although if animals are old enough and sufficiently rehabbed, releases also take place throughout the summer. Chipmunks and squirrels are usually not turned out after mid-October, as their primary natural food sources have dwindled. This year’s fawns are still Read More
Critter Chatter — Three Little Kittens
This month’s column about the Wildlife Care Center in Vassalboro was going to be about fox releases, but before we got too far into the conversation, caretaker Don Cote mentioned he had three bobcat kittens on site. I “pounced” on the idea of writing about the bobcats, so we’ll address critter releases later. In late Read More
Critter Chatter — Little Stinkers
Over the past month, I’ve had the unexpected pleasure to see skunk families waddling along the side of the road. Just watching them makes me smile, so voila – the topic of this month’s column! I suspected Carleen had written about skunks in the past and sure enough, I found an article, some of which Read More
Critter Chatter – Mother Nature’s Amazing Genetics
Facebook wildlife and rehab groups often share photos of interesting critters, but I don’t know how many readers have ever seen a piebald animal. My husband and I were fortunate to see a wild piebald deer in the Hancock area a couple of years ago, and when I recently came across old photos of a Read More
Critter Chatter — Who You Gonna Call?
When Don and I talked about a topic for this month’s column, he suggested letting readers know what the differences are between an Animal Control Officer (ACO) and an Animal Damages Control Agent (ADC). Although the titles of “Animal Control” and “Animal Damage Control” are often used interchangeably, they represent two different areas of specialty. Read More
Critter Chatter — The Best of Intentions
When visiting at the Duck Pond Wildlife Rehab Center in March, I asked Donald Cote what we should submit for the April column. With no hesitation whatsoever, Don said spring is the time to remind people that not all young animals that appear orphaned need rescuing. That makes this month’s column easy for me as Read More
Critter Chatter — Opossum: America’s Only Marsupial
A recent chat with Donald Cote at Duck Pond Rehabilitation Center was about opossums, as I couldn’t help but notice a large adult snoozing in a pet carrier in what used to be Carlene’s “doll room.” I’ve never seen one in the wild, although sightings in Maine have become common. My research provided conflicting information Read More
