TIFTON — Many South Georgians enjoy the beauty of bountiful wildlife.  But chances are, few realize that there are those special people out there who work diligently and spend their own money rescuing and rehabbing injured and orphaned animals.

And perhaps not many know about the Georgia Wildlife Rescue Association that is newly formed with Colquitt Countian Chet Powell at its helm.

Powell launched the rescue effort just over a year ago when he returned from the Gulf Coast where he helped with the rescue of marine wildlife in the wake of the British Petroleum oil spill.

Powell, former manager of Reed Bingham State Park,  went to the area with a group of volunteers and donated supplies to help save as much wildlife as possible.

“It would have been a shame not to use this momentum to its fullest,” said Powell.

And so when he got back to Georgia, the seeds of the rescue association were sown.

Powell said the association will concentrate on education, outreach and advocacy. He said South Georgia has several people involved in wildlife rescue efforts including Colquitt County’s Jennifer Glover, also a former park ranger at Reed Bingham State Park.

And in Thomas County is Lorraine Conklin who is known throughout the Southeast for her wildlife rescue efforts. At her home near Thomasville, she currently has red and gray foxes, deer, skunks, blue herons and night herons, just to name a few.

“I’m standing here right now at Lorraine’s place looking at a beautiful solid black fox squirrel,” said Powell.

Powell said much of the association’s efforts will be to get grants and donations to help the rescuers because most of them are spending their own money.

“Given the economy and an increasing demand to help injured and orphaned animals, you can see the obstacles they are up against,” said Powell.

While Conklin helps rescue a wide variety of critters, others specialize in certain species. Powell said one rescuer deals only with raptor birds. But the goal of all rescuers is to return the creatures to the wild.

Powell said the need for rescue is greater  right now because there appears to be a longer breeding season than in the past which sets the stage for rescue issues.

“I think global warming is for real. And I think weather conditions we have been experiencing are confusing to some animals,” he said.

Along with raising funds, Powell feels the need to better educate the public on wildlife and particularly about encroachment on their habitats.

“For instance,” he said, “not all fawns need rescuing. If you see a fawn in the woods and no doe is seen nearby, it’s best to leave it alone. Chances are the mother will return for it. On the other hand, if you see a doe that has been killed by a car and a fawn is nearby, then that would be the time to rescue the baby.”

Powell said efforts are under way to develop three large rescue centers in the state. He said they would be strategically located in the south, central and north sectors of Georgia.

“Most people have huge misconceptions about what wildlife rehabilitators actually do. They envision them spending their days frolicking on the grass with friendly playful critters while a melody of Walt Disney songs floats down from somewhere in the clouds. The reality is that injured or orphaned animals are obviously afraid and traumatized.

“These animals require urgent specialized care so a rehabber can't wait for weeks, days or even a few hours while the animals get accustomed to being handled. As a result, Wildlife rehabilitators get scratched, bitten, urinated on, or worse, daily. The days are long for rehabbers, averaging 14 to 18 hours. Some are longer. There are cages to clean, bandages to change, trips to the veterinarian and mouths to feed. Young animals may require being fed every two to four hours,” said Powell.

Powell said rehabbers also frequently have to check on injured animals during the night, which means that they may start the following day already fatigued. The worst part is that despite all of their extraordinary efforts, many of these animals will not survive. Even so, wildlife rehabilitators keep going, resulting in thousands of successful rescues and releases each year.

Some wildlife rehabilitators do have support networks, Powell noted, but most do not and the situation for the vast majority of them is critical. Many have indicated they will not be able to continue without in-kind contributions or some financial support. And all of this is happening as spring approaches, the busiest time for all wildlife rehabilitators.

“ What can you do to help? Start by supporting the wildlife rehabilitators that serve your area or particular region. For more information or to make a contribution go to georgiawildliferescue.org or mail it to PO Box 7272, Tifton, Ga. 31794. Please help us continue our efforts to save and protect Georgia’s native wildlife,” said Powell.