An Estero broker goes wild in the bath

ESTERO, Fla. – They may seem cute and cuddly, but the Southwest Florida Conservation Society says you should never bring a baby raccoon or any native wildlife into your home!

In the past week, the Naples-based animal hospital has dealt with two animal nuisance calls, including a Gopher Tortoise trapped in a bathtub.

“I think I have to call security because this guy needs some help.”

That was the first thing that crossed Karen Coney Coplin’s mind last week, while cleaning a house in Estero. As a real estate agent, she was shocked when she looked at a property to find a Gopher Tortoise that had been stuck in a bathtub there for three weeks.

“The turtle probably went to the bathroom several times, with no water, no food and no way to get out.” Coplin said.

She rushed the protected reptile to the Conservancy where it is currently being helped, but that is not the only recent alarming case.

Joanna Fitzgerald, the director of the Wildlife Conservation Hospital, also helped take care of four panda cubs, found in the backyard and marked with nail polish.

“Here we are, this community is so lucky to have a wildlife hospital. Nobody needs to keep these things, and when they do, it’s for them to enjoy, they don’t put the care of the animals first.” Fitzgerald said.

She said cases like this show the problems that come from people trying to care for wildlife and how people who think they’re helping animals are actually doing more harm than good. .

“Humans, it happens very often, they’ll keep them for a few days, or a week, and when they bring them back, that’s when the animals are underperforming and there’s only so much we can do. a lot of”. Fitzgerald said.