Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Blue jay fledgling found tangled in fishing line, requiring care for two months.
Eastern screech owl nestlings had their nest tree cut down and required care for three months.
A gopher tortoise hatchling was attacked by a dog, requiring care for five months.
A white-tailed deer fawn suffered habitat loss, requiring care for six to eight months.
Opossum joey orphaned after its mother was killed by a car, required care for four months.
A river otter pup found without its mother.
As spring turns to summer in Southwest Florida, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s von Arx Wildlife Hospital is entering its busiest season of the year. Longer days and warmer temperatures trigger breeding season for native wildlife, bringing a wave of injured and orphaned baby animals through the hospital’s doors, with as many as 100 fragile patients arriving each week.
To help meet the growing demand for supplies and care, the hospital will host its annual Baby Shower fundraiser from June 7 through June 21, 2026. While the event traditionally welcomes supporters to campus, this year’s Baby Shower will be held exclusively online to reduce traffic during active construction of the John and Carol Walter Nature Experience, a major transformation of the Conservancy’s Nature Center campus scheduled to open in early 2028. The von Arx Wildlife Hospital will remain open throughout construction to receive injured and orphaned native wildlife.
Supporters can participate by visiting conservancy.org/babyshower, where they can purchase needed items directly from the hospital’s wish list or make a monetary donation to support food, medical treatment, and rehabilitation for young wildlife patients. All donated items ship directly to the hospital.
In 2025, the von Arx Wildlife Hospital cared for nearly 3,500 injured and orphaned wild animals.
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