WILDLIFE WARRIOR
As the sun rises, so does Pamela Mead, a 61-year-old wildlife rehabilitator, who spends her days caring for injured or abandoned wildlife in a bright red barn right outside her childhood home in Syracuse, N.Y.
When a baby bird falls out of a tree, Mead’s phone rings. When an injured deer needs a place to rest for a few days, Mead has a spot ready. The work schedule of a wildlife rehabilitator is not your typical 9-5, and they never know when the next animal will need their help. Every day Mead begins her day by walking to the barn and starting the daily round of feedings and chores for her current wildlife residents. Mead has been a wildlife rehabilitator for 17 years and finds immense joy in caring for animals, so they heal and grow strong enough to hopefully be introduced back into the wild. “There was one year where I had cared for 649 animals” says Mead. Most of the animals that make their way to Mead’s sanctuary called Critter Crossing Wildlife Rehabilitation center, are baby squirrels, rabbits, opossums, birds, and ducks. Mead does get larger and more exotic animals from time to time, she currently has a baby fawn, and a barn owl at her center that she is working with. A lot of effort is required to keep the animal’s content, like multiple feedings a day for baby birds that need to eat every half an hour, and changing newspaper bedding multiple times a day. Mead has the help of several volunteers that visit her throughout the week to help her with chores. Adam Rufa began volunteering at Critter Crossing a couple years ago because of his seventeen-year-old daughter’s passion for Wildlife Rehabilitation. “Pam is great, even if my daughter can’t come, I still like to show up and help her out” says Rufa.
The story of Pamela Mead is one of genuine compassion for all creatures, as she devotes most of her life to animals, as well as educating children and adults about the environment and the arts. Mead is a part of the New York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and goes to conferences to speak to other rehabbers about the work she’s doing, including building proper wildlife enclosures. “Even though I live alone, I wouldn’t say I’m lonely because I have my friends, animals, and volunteers” says Mead.
Pamela Mead, 61, begins her day with a bowl of Captain Crunch before embarking on a day of chores as a wildlife rehabilitator on Oct. 28, 2023. Mead lives in her childhood home, and rehabilitates various types of wildlife in a barn built by her late father on their property in Syracuse, N.Y.
Pamela Mead, cuts up carrots to feed four young groundhogs that are currently in her care in the main wildlife barn on her property in Syracuse, N.Y. on Oct. 28, 2023. Mead has been a wildlife rehabilitator for seventeen years and says that “carrots are their favorite snack.”
While holding tight to a Pekin duck just caught in her net, wildlife rehabilitator Pamela Mead says, “I raised this one since she was just a baby.” This was one of five ducks released on Oct. 28, 2023, after living at Meads sanctuary in Syracuse, N.Y. for several months. Mead has been a wildlife rehabilitator for seventeen years and finds great joy in releasing her animals back into the wild once they are strong enough to fend on their own.
Pamela Mead, stands in the doorway of her main wildlife rehabilitation barn as she waits for her volunteers to bring over cages. Mead is the proud owner of Critter Crossing Rehabilitation center in Syracuse, N.Y. and currently has sixteen wildlife residents in her care ranging from small quail to a baby fawn.
Rehabilitation instructions hang on a whiteboard in Pamela Mead's wildlife rehabilitation barn.
Pamela Mead, releases five ducks that were in her care to Webster Pond in Syracuse, N.Y. on Oct. 28, 2023. “This is where I release all of my birds because it’s a safe, quiet spot, and you can actually buy food and feed them here” says Mead.
Pamela Mead concentrates on a wildlife building slideshow that she has been working on, during her lunch break.
Pamela Mead fills up water jugs for her animals at a natural spring near her home.
Pamela Mead, looks out at Webster Pond in Syracuse, N.Y., with a friendly pigeon on her shoulder.
The contents of Pamela Meads garage freezer where she keeps food for her wildlife in rehab.
Pamela Mead, saws wood for an outdoor wildlife enclosure.
Wildlife Rehabilitator Pamela Mead and Volunteer Adam Rufa, screw in the roof of an outdoor animal enclosure at Meads rehabilitation center in Syracuse, N.Y. on Oct. 28, 2023. “We want to get this enclosure done for the groundhogs before the snow comes, so they have a chance to burrow” says Mead.
After a long day of chores, wildlife rehabilitator Pamela Mead, 61, takes time for herself and crochets a hat on her couch. Mead says, “I’ll usually give these hats to my family and friends for fun.”