Humane Wildlife Indiana works to care for animals affected by severe storms

VALPARAISO, Ind. -- Severe storms that swept through Northern Indiana on Tuesday came with damaging winds, causing several downed trees. For wildlife, those fallen trees can also mean the loss of habitat.

That was evident Wednesday at Humane Wildlife Indiana in Valparaiso, where staff cared for more than 120 animals displaced or injured by Tuesday's storms.

The wildlife rehabilitation facility was operating without power or running water, using a generator and a makeshift outdoor triage area to handle the influx of animals.

“Wildlife rehabilitators and facilities as large as ours are hard to come by,” said Nicole Harmon, senior director for Humane Wildlife Indiana. “More than half of the people we've spoken to today said, ‘Oh my gosh, we're so glad you're here. We didn't know where else to go.’”

Each animal brought to the facility was weighed, assigned a number and documented on paper as staff worked to keep track of the large number of rescues.

Inside the facility, animals were placed in incubators powered by a generator.

“The biggest challenge is going to be keeping the generator running,” said Harmon, “But we're prepared to be able to do this for as long as we need to.”

Among the animals arriving after the storms were mourning doves, opossums and squirrels. Two incubators were filled with squirrels that staff were working to assess and treat for injuries.

The facility also received an unusual patient: an injured adult bald eagle brought in by a conservation officer.

“A conservation officer that we're familiar with walked up and I said, ‘Oh no, what do you have for me?’ And he had a mature bald eagle that came in,” Harmon said.

The eagle was being kept comfortable while awaiting X-rays once power was restored.

Humane Wildlife Indiana said its staff is accustomed to responding to severe weather, but the number of animals brought in Wednesday was unlike any storm they’ve experienced before.

Officials advise residents who find displaced wildlife in storm debris to keep the animals warm and avoid giving them food or water until they can be evaluated by a trained wildlife professional.