The free summer programming lineup down in the Outlook & District Regional Park kicked off this past Saturday, July 6 with a visit from a few furry and feathery friends.
Loki and Edgar are two crows who reside at the Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation facility in Saskatoon, and they were the star attraction in front of nearly three dozen people who gathered in the performance bowl of the park to watch the presentation. Joining the two birds were Cheese and Crackers, two blind squirrels who also live at the facility.
Living Sky volunteer Tammy spoke to the audience about the animals and the work being done at the facility, and explained how both Loki and Edgar are being rehabbed right now, as both carry the West Nile virus. The two fuzzy squirrels, Cheese and Crackers, are named that because someone had fed those foods to the two of them, which actually contributed to their loss of vision. To that end, Tammy stressed how important it is to feed the right foods to animals so they can get the required and necessary nutrients.
Living Sky’s main goal is rehabbing animals and helping them maintain their wildness so that they can be re-released into the wild. But with other animals such as the crow and squirrel pairs, which can’t be re-released, they serve as ambassadors for the facility and help educate the public on wildlife.
The animals were a hit with those in attendance as long lines formed to pet the birds and squirrels.
Next up in the Outlook park’s summer program lineup is a presentation on burrowing owls this coming Saturday, July 13 at 1:00 pm.
