Bats – Those that get a bad rap are under attack Bats are agile winged mammals that use echolocation to navigate at night as well as to hunt for prey. Bats usually live in caves in large colonies and vary in size and diet depending on the species. In recent years, bats have been under […]
The page has turned and the Wildlife Medical Clinic is excited to embark on yet another year tending and caring for our local wildlife. With every new year, there is value in taking time to reflect on the past. In 2025, the Wildlife Medical Clinic provided care to over 2,000 members of our wildlife community, […]
We’ve all heard those sweet trills of our avian friends perched atop branches. They beckon our attention, but beyond the birds exhibiting their vast vocal range for every passing audience, have you ever stopped to consider what that song means? Or how birds come to perform their tunes so perfectly? Who is doing the singing? […]
In the fall, the Wildlife Medical Clinic is booming with orphaned wildlife such as squirrels, rabbits, and opossums. On our initial triage examination, many of these orphaned patients present with mild to moderate dehydration, consistent with the assumption that they likely have gone some length of time without feeding. We are typically able to efficiently […]
Bird Migration Every fall and spring hundreds of bird species take to the skies to travel between their winter and summer homes. In the United States, most regions become too cool and mainly offer too little food for these birds to survive the winter, thus forcing these birds to migrate to more southern areas to […]
Join Wildlife Medical Clinic Program Coordinator, Sydney Oliveira, as she plays some trivia on CiLiving to discuss common ways various wildlife survive the cold, winter months.
Our newest ambassador, Pesto the Virginia Opossum, was inspiration for this cute coloring sheet drawn by one of our volunteers. Feel free to share your fully colored masterpieces with us on Facebook by tagging us at ‘Wildlife Medical Clinic at Illinois’. Drawn by: Rachel E., Class of 2027.
Check out our recent visit to CiLiving where Wildlife Medical Clinic Director, Dr. Stephany Lewis, DVM, CWR, DABVP (Avian Practice) goes over some unique giving opportunities that the clinic has to offer. Some of these opportunities such as our Adopt an Ambassador program, our Sponsor a Day, and our 2026 Wildlife Medical Clinic Calendar make […]
Spiny Softshell Basics Spiny Softshell Turtles are considered one of the largest freshwater turtle species within the United States. Their unique appearance makes them stand out among other turtle species. As their name suggests, their carapace, or top shell, is flat, flexible, and has spines along the front surface. Their webbed feet and long nose […]
Wildlife Medical Clinic Overview Each year, the Wildlife Medical Clinic at the University of Illinois provides care to around 2,300 wildlife patients and about 120 different species. We take all native Illinois wildlife, excluding skunks and bats. While these animals arrive for a variety of reasons including injury, illness, and being orphaned as youngsters, the […]