Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge introduces two new wildlife ambassadors
Cedar Run’s newest education ambassador, Olive the opossum, arrived to Cedar Run in December 2014 from a rehabilitation center in Locust Valley, N.Y. Born into a litter of ten, Olive was deemed unreleasable due to her small size. As a friendly and calm opossum, Cedar Run’s education team is now preparing Olive to become a featured wildlife ambassador in their various on- and off-site education programs.
Mika the raccoon is also being groomed as a wildlife ambassador. Mika is Native American for “wise or knowing raccoon,” and arrived to Cedar Run in January 2015. He had been found lingering around a warehouse in central Jersey for about a week in mid-November. After a month of rehabilitation, the staff at Mercer County Wildlife deemed Mika unreleasable due to habituated demeanor.
“We’ve been assessing both Olive’s and Mika’s personalities these past couple months,” said Cedar Run Rehabilitation Hospital Manager, Lori Swanson. “They are both very curious and we look forward to working with them to help teach children and adults about these often misunderstood animals.”
According to Cedar Run’s education and rehab hospital teams, friendly opossums and raccoons are not fit for life in the wild. Not only is it illegal to take a wild animal in as a pet, as per New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife regulations, but more often than not, habituated animals are unable to forage for food on their own, and many times are mistaken for a rabid animal. Wild animals raised by humans also attempt to be around people in order to source food and shelter, which poses in an increased risk for vehicle collisions.
Olive is currently being housed indoors and expects to be moved to Cedar Run’s outdoor housing area come spring. Mika the raccoon is currently being housed in one of Cedar Run’s outdoor enclosures and receives daily physical, mental and nutritional support.
