Dear FMLers':
 
I received this message from Hersheys' foster mom.  Thank you all so much
for your offers of homes and the many suggestions of what Hershey is.  I
tend to believe that this is the best outcome he could have.  He will be
free.  Many people took time out of their buys days to answer my
questions about mink, weasels, pine martens and various other critters.
This has been quite a learning experience.  Thank you all so much!
 
Sincerely,
Mary
 
Yesterday richard and i took our little foster ,"hershey", to his new
home.  thanks to everyone who offered suggestions about placing him.  He
was becoming increasingly upset and aggressive as the week went on.  Not
happy about being caged, at all.  We decided the best home for him was
at the Howell Nature Center, in Howell, Mi.  We met with the wildlife
director, Nancy Sloan, and she believes he is a young mink.  She showed
us pictures of minks and he looks just like them.  They have
rehabilitated many minks in the past and successfully released them to
the wild.  Their vet will do a full exam, including blood work and xrays,
they will then "rehabilitate" to see if he can kill his own food.  If he
can be released, thats what they will do.  If they determine he cannot
survive in the wild, they will build him an outdoor cage, big enough to
keep him happy and designed with his species' needs in mind.  He will
then be a permanent resident of the nature center.  It is actually a
pretty nice place.  There are walking trails with large cages of other
permanent resident mammals and birds of prey.  They have an educational
program and have a ferret, housed indoors, that they take to schools
for kids to see.  We can keep up on Hershey's status by calling the
infirmary, at (517) 548-5530 and asking about animal # M39402  They are
supported by donations and volunteers.  We believe we did the best we
could for him.  I don't think he was meant to become anyone's pet.
 
Christine
http://www.iGive.com/html/ssi.cfm?cid=6431&mid=87568
http://www.mkaresq.com
[Posted in FML issue 3907]