Nestled into a quiet corner of the Maine woods at the end of a meandering driveway, Critterville is a safe haven for injured or orphaned wildlife. Late last summer, my mother-in-law called me in tears early one evening. She had accidentally wounded a baby bird while mowing her lawn in Deer Isle and had no idea what to do. Together we scoured the internet for a wildlife rescue. The closest bird sanctuary we could find was an hour away – Birdsacre in Ellsworth – and was already closed for the day. The second was Avian Haven in Freedom, which was even further afield, and didn’t respond to our outreach. The fledgling chick was bleeding and seemed to be going into shock, despite our best efforts to keep it warm and comfortable. I live on Flye Point Road in Brooklin and remembered noting a rustic wooden sign tucked back from the roadside denoting “Critterville” less than a mile away from my house. It seemed unlikely that they would take birds but it was worth a try, given the high stakes of our predicament. Susan Wotton greeted my call with a concerned and stoic demeanor and instructed us to bring the chick in as soon as we could. We were there within half an hour and, Mom clutching the little box, we crossed the threshold of the rehab center. The experience was a memorable one for me. We entered the main room, which was lined with enclosures of various sorts and sizes. Susan ushered us in almost silently and asked us to be as calm and quiet as we could, for the sake of the wild animals surrounding us. She gently whisked the chick off into a separate exam room and I was left to quietly observe my surroundings.
My gaze slid over a wall of cages to my right, which housed a startling number of raccoon kits. The kits appeared to be grouped by litters (of which there must have been five or six) and peered out with large black eyes, glittering with curiosity. A raccoon’s delicate paws have five dexterous digits and give the impression of tiny hands. Many of them groped inquisitively through the bars, reaching out as far as their shoulders would allow. The atmosphere of the room was aquiver with all their fluttering chirps. On the far wall there was a large glass-fronted enclosure reserved for the resident opossum and further to the left there was yet another hutch housing a litter of young skunk kits, who bobbed erratically around their cage. The raccoons had the biggest impact on me during our short visit, as the sheer number of orphan kits being cared for at the time was astonishing. My eyes teared involuntarily as I watched them. A sense of overwhelming wonder stirred in me as I stood there witnessing so many of these mysterious and exquisite wild creatures in such a small space. To be in such close proximity to them felt somehow unnatural. At that moment, I glimpsed the extent to which humankind has become accustomed to a distinct division between wild and domestic animals, and how much this division alienates us from the rich and complex lives of a majority of other species in our environment. In the day to day lives of many, wild animals appear only fleetingly, and often as the victims of roadkill when they do. I consider myself an outdoorswoman and am lucky to live in a rural area with plenty of undisturbed habitat for wildlife to utilize, and still consider my semi-regular encounters with my furry neighbors in “the back forty” to be one of the highlights of living here.
Susan was unable to save the injured chick but was able to euthanize it and humanely end its suffering. Her deep concern for the wellbeing of the animals in her care (and for all animals) was tangible. During a brief interview this month, I asked her what inspired her to start Critterville. She shared that she has always loved working with animals and that when she relocated here from New York and began volunteering at the Acadia Wildlife Center in Bar Harbor, she realized that there was a desperate need for wildlife rehabilitation centers in this area. She set right to work getting her Wildlife Rehabilitation Certification and opened Critterville in 2020 in Brooklin, Maine. Our local wildlife has benefited greatly: in this past year alone, Critterville has provided care to over 200 animals. They have the capacity to care for any injured or orphaned species, but there are certain animals (like bear, moose and some bird species) that require federal permits to house. In these cases, their facility can hold and/or stabilize the animal for 72hrs in order to arrange transport to a more specific rehabilitation center. There are a number of ways in which you can support Susan’s efforts and Critterville, the first of which are by donations. There are links available on Critterville’s Facebook page to Amazon, Walmart and Chewy wishlists, where you can purchase needed supplies and have them delivered directly to the rehab. Monetary donations are always appreciated and can be made via Paypal @crittervillewildlife or Venmo @crittervillewildlife. Volunteering opportunities also abound, especially in the Spring during baby season. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Critterville through their Facebook page or at (845) 549-2407.
— by Sarah Scamperlé, Marketing Assistant
