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Wands to the Rescue
COURTESY OF APPALACHIAN WILDLIFE REFUGE
Most people toss empty mascara tubes—plastic applicator and all. But the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina wants people to donate used mascara wands instead. At the organization, wildlife rehabilitators nurse small rescued animals, like orphaned opossums and injured mice, back to health. They’ve found that mascara wands are perfect for grooming these tiny critters that often can’t clean themselves.
Rehabilitators brush the small, soft wands through animals’ fur to remove oil and other debris, as well as harmful parasites like lice or mites. This technique also calms the animals because it mimics the way parents use their tongues to groom their young. Since 2017, the wildlife refuge has received more than 50,000 old mascara wands through its Wands for Wildlife program.
Wildlife rehabilitators work with all sorts of animals, from baby birds to sick snakes. This graph shows the different types of animals that rehabilitators across the U.S. treated in one year. What might account for the differences in the number of animals treated in each group?
SOURCE: NATIONAL WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS ASSOCIATION, 2007 SURVEY
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