How Think Wild keeps their wildlife out of the ‘winter blues’

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- Right now, some of us might be feeling a little tired of cold weather. Having a few days of sunshine before going back to overcast and wintry weather again has us wondering: How does the wildlife here in Central Oregon deal with this?

KTVZ News took a trip over to our local wildlife rehab, Think Wild, to ask them. They told us the local birds and animals are doing just fine, and they can adapt to cold weather again quickly, but the day is getting longer so their behavior is changing.

Karla Garcia from Think Wild said, "Animals start to kind of recognize that spring is coming, so they're gonna be a little bit more reactive to, you know, prepping nests, starting to lay eggs. They're going to be taking care of their babies around this time, so instead of reacting to kind of weather changes, they're gonna be reacting more towards our longer days."

While the birds build their nests, some of the smaller mammals like squirrels have already had their babies.

So if you're out doing yard work, be mindful of nesting animals and trees and crawl spaces. If you disturb a nest, leave it alone, and the sooner you leave the area, the sooner wildlife can return to helping their young. If you have questions or find injured wildlife, you can always call Think Wild's hotline.