PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 17, 2020
The number of injured animals brought to two of Maine’s largest wildlife hospitals has dropped significantly early this spring as vehicle traffic has sharply declined because of the coronavirus outbreak. Admissions at the Center For Wildlife in York dropped 44% in March from its average over the past five years. At Avian Haven in Freedom, there was a 47% decline in admissions last month. “The No. 1 reason we see animals come to the center is they are hit by cars – on average it is 52 percent of our admissions,” said Kristen Lamb, director of the Center For Wildlife. Traffic statewide in Maine dropped by more than half from the first week of March to the first week of April.