At Watkins Wildlife Rehab, John and Carolyn Watkins care for wild animals that have been sick, injured or orphaned

It takes a special kind of person to care what happens to an injured coyote or a family of orphaned possums. For 46 years, Carolyn Watkins and her husband John have been caring for sick, injured and orphaned wild animals until they're ready to be released to their natural habitats.

"We try to get everything back to the wild. That's our goal," says Carolyn Watkins. "We care for any mammal that is brought to us and any birds of prey that are native to the U.S."

Over the years the couple has cared for possums, raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, minks, squirrels, rabbits, turtles, eagles, hawks, falcons, chipmunks, weasels, foxes, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, bears, wolves, alligators, deer, owls, a pelican and a beaver -- and those are only the ones Carolyn can remember off the top of her head. They usually care for between 200 and 300 animals each year at their Sedgewickville, Mo., farm.

"Most things we get in are baby animals during the spring and summer, but during the fall and winter we get more migratory birds and waterfowl," she says. "We usually don't turn down anything."

Watkins Wildlife Rehab got its start after John Watkins came across a hawk with a gunshot wound while walking in the woods. He brought the bird home and called a conservation agent, who asked if the couple would be willing to care for the hawk during its recovery. They agreed, and when the hawk was healed, John went with the agent to release it. A couple weeks later, the agent asked if the couple would be willing to take in more animals, and they were happy to help out.

"I've always loved animals and my husband has always loved animals. He used to bring home little babies in his lunch box and pockets, and I did, too," Carolyn says.

Carolyn Watkins holds a rescued gray squirrel and a rescued raccoon at Watkins Wildlife Rehab Wednesday in Sedgewickville, Mo. (Adam Vogler)

So starting up Watkins Wildlife and working with local veterinarians and conservation agents wasn't a big stretch for the couple.

"It started on a small scale and snowballed, and then we got our federal and state licenses," Carolyn says. She and John learned to care for the animals from experience and trial and error, she says. They live on 180 acres in a wooded area, and the animals' cages are outdoors so they become used to living in the wild. Carolyn tries to feed them things they'd find in the wild, like fruit and mice, so they'll be ready for an eventual transition to the woods or a conservation area.

The animals come from Missouri and surrounding states. Some are brought in by animal health and rehab centers, while others are called in by people who find them and don't know who else to call.

"People call us about animals they've found and didn't know what to do with. They couldn't get ahold of an agent and they don't want to leave it," says Watkins. "We explain to them not to take any chances, especially with birds of prey. If it's a smaller animal, you can try to scoot it into a box and take it to the vet's office or call an agent the next day."

Conservation agents usually pick up the animals and bring them to the Watkins' farm. Skyview Animal Clinic in Cape Girardeau also donates time and resources to help wounded animals, which John, a Cape Girardeau doctor, later picks up on his way home from work.

"We can't go out and pick up everything, or we'd never get anything done, and we don't have the funds because we're not-for-profit," says Carolyn. Watkins Wildlife has been funded solely by donations, volunteer labor and the Watkins' own wallets for more than 45 years.

The amount of time the animals stay with the couple varies depending on the type of animal and its age and condition. Baby raccoons stay for about six to eight months; deer, foxes and coyotes stay for about six months; and others, like bobcats, stay for a full year because that's how long they would have stayed with their mother in the wild. The animals also require different styles of care. Foxes and coyotes, for example, need to be bottle-fed, held and played with because they are social animals, and that's how they would have lived with their real mother and siblings.

"I do get attached. A lot of people ask me that, if I hate when they leave," says Carolyn. She bonds with the animals she's looked after for a long time and had more hands-on time with, like the coyotes and bobcats. "The first few deer I get real attached to because I've had more hands-on time with them," she adds. But as more animals come in, she can't spend as much time with them all, so she doesn't feel as attached to them.

"When they get to the point where they're older -- and I say 'older' meaning they go through their 'teenage years' -- they start pacing and being restless in their cages, and I know it's getting time for them to be free. I know the goal is ultimately to set the animals free," says Carolyn. "When I open the door, sometimes they'll shoot out and take off and never look back. Sometimes they'll hang around and sniff the air."

It's a whole new, exciting world for them, and "I know that I raised them and did everything for them so they at least have a chance to make it on their own," says Carolyn.

Still, caring for so many wild animals every day can take its toll. Carolyn starts feeding the babies around 5:30 a.m. every day, and it takes a few hours to finish the job. The cleaning never ends and, unfortunately, there are some animals that just don't make it.

"I have such a love for animals and wanting to help them that I don't mind doing it," Carolyn says. The job can be overwhelming in the spring and winter, but it does slow down in the winter. "If I did this 365 days a year, seven days a week, I'd go nuts, but I do get a break in wintertime. Then I'm ready to go again with the babies in the spring," she says.

The Watkins also have a menagerie of their own pets: four dogs, five cats, a chinchilla, parrot, three horses, four goats, sheep, a burrow, a turkey, ducks and geese.

"A lot of them were just dumped off because people didn't want them anymore. We just love animals," says Carolyn.

Watkins Wildlife Open House

Watkins Wildlife Rehab will host a free open house from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 9. Stop by for tours, a bake sale, live music and a silent auction to benefit the animals. To get there, take exit 117 from Interstate 55, turn left onto Route KK and drive eight or nine miles until Route K. Look for the "Watkins Wildlife" sign. For more information, call Carolyn Watkins at 573-866-3436 or visit www.watkinswildliferehab.org.