HOUSTON – It's not a zoo and and it's not a location in the wild.
Dozens of animals -- many injured & washed out of their homes by the recent rain have landed at the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in west Houston.
This is where they'll begin the healing process before being returned to where they came from.
"There's a lot of reasons they get brought to us during this," says volunteer coordinator Terry Garner. "Tree limbs get blown down, and we go ahead and rehabilitate them and get them back into the wild."
Overnight residents from the latest storm include a pair of baby screech owls. Also a 2-day-old skunk -- with umbilical chord still attached. Tuesday they also had someone bring in a coyote pup separated from his family after someone clearing his land discovered the animals.
Depending on age and medical condition -- each animal will first be treated here -- then sent to the home of a volunteer, personal rehabilitation specialist.
"It depends on how injured they might be when they come in," says intern Chris Bailey. "As well as what the rehabber will take in."
Coordinators say weather like we've seen over the last few days initially increases the number of animals brought to the center by about 30 percent. But the bulk of the animals come one to two days after the rain when people start clearing their property of storm debris.
"Within the next couple of days," says Garner, "we'll really start seeing a lot of the animals."
The center advises anyone who comes across a displaced animal to leave it alone if possible, especially if you believe its parent could be nearby.
They also say never touch the animal with your bare hands. They say the best course of action is to call them so they can bring in the animal and begin the rehabilitation process as quickly as possible