Regular readers of this little column are probably wondering, "What happened to the humor stuff?" Bear with me. The grins and chuckles shall return next month but this story is one that needs telling and there is a bit of urgency involved. I have had the great good fortune to photograph several fascinating animals at this facility. This is my way of giving something back.

"MOM, THERE'S A POSSUM IN MY HAIR." It was Annette's daughter calling from her bedroom. "That's when I knew things were getting out of hand," says Annette King, founder of the Wild Heart Ranch, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center located near Claremore, Oklahoma.

She continues: "My entire household was being overrun with animals. Somehow I had to figure a way to add a room to the house and dedicate it solely to caring for the critters." And typically, she did. Upon hearing of her plight, friends, neighbors, and relatives chipped in money, time, and supplies to erect a fully functional clinic. "I couldn't have continued without this room. It's a dream come true, she says".

The mission of a wildlife rehabilitator is to care for sick, injured, or orphaned animals, with the goal of releasing them back to the wild as soon as possible. Ones with severe injuries are either kept for use in public awareness programs or humanely euthanized. The rehabber's work is hard, dirty, and demanding. Few have the dedication for such an endeavor. Annette King has it. This is her story.

WW: Annette, with all the animals that are under your care around here, do you ever get a vacation?

AK: Are you kidding? How would I ever find someone to take over this madhouse while I go on vacation? I'd settle for a few quiet days off.

WW: Just looking around, I can see two raccoons, a bobcat, two hawks, a half dozen deer, a blind wallaby, a skunk, two baby squirrels, a basket full of puppies, and a cougar. Is it this busy all the time?

AK: Hey, this is nothing. This is the slow season. Drop by in the spring. I work 7 days a week with many 20-hour days for about two months. It's absolutely hectic. I barely have time to eat. I have been seen with a sandwich in one hand while digging maggots out of an injured goose with the other. I can recall dumping a can of cat food into a bowl while my stomach growled audibly. I've traveled to Wal-Mart to buy supplies with a bunny in my pocket, a raccoon in my purse, and a skunk in my bra (saving a trip to pick up orphans). I do 25 to 30 loads of laundry a day and at LEAST that in dishes during June & July of each year. I get really tired, and after about the seventh week of it, I usually start having crying spells, which my husband thankfully understands.

WW: It must cost a lot for supplies.

AK: During the peak of the season, we average a $30 can of KMR, 4 boxes of rice cereal, half a $45 tub of Esbillac and at least 5 gallons of fresh goat milk at $4 a gallon per day. We have a dozen heating pads going, the AC in the clinic is on overload, and the water runs non-stop both inside and out. It works out to around $150 a day. Without donations, there's just no way we could afford it.

WW: What kinds of animals are most likely to come to the ranch in the spring?

AK: I've been a mother to 70 opossums, 45 bunnies, 100+ birds, 35 raccoons, 27 skunks, 14 fawns, several dozen raptors, foxes, coyotes, and bobcats all in the same day. None of them would eat for anyone else but me - a conspiracy.

WW: Do you get a lot of calls for advice on wildlife?

AK: My phone rings on average 100 times a day during this time. I have a headset for my phone, but the raccoons have eaten three of them. I consult with hundreds of wildlife rehabilitators all over the world.

WW: Surely, you can't do this alone

AK: Oh no, if it weren't for my wonderful staff of volunteers, what I do would be impossible.

WW: How can you continue to do this year after year?

AK: Someone once told me that nature eases the memory of childbirth in a mother: otherwise, every woman would have only one child. I compare that with the orphan season each year. Somehow, I forget the pain and agony each spring and am anxious to get going.

WW: Obviously you have had to learn a lot about medicines and injuries.

AK: I forever hear that I should have been a veterinarian, but then how could I possibly care for the wildlife and repay a student loan? I've cured distemper, coccidian, parvo, gangrene, metabolic bone disease, and several hundred cases of "stupid people syndrome". I've heard it all. From "I found this skunk in my mother's bathroom" to "I held up traffic for an hour while I coaxed it from under my car" to "God sent it to me. I've taken in raccoons that preferred Godiva chocolates and skunks that would only eat Eukanuba puppy poultry and rice and "nothing else". Yeah, right. I've had people bring me a baby owl that they "found last night" that had a name, personality, food preferences, and a baby book.

WW: Tell me about the cougar.

AK: Kiara was an illegally obtained cougar with infected claws from a brutal de-clawing. The cat had suffered horrible abuse and had lived in the most awful conditions imaginable. The last thing in the world I needed was a cougar, but it was either take her in or have her put down. I decided that somehow, I'd manage I've never regretted it.

WW: I know you've heard about the recent attack by the tiger in the Siegfried and Roy show in Las Vegas. Do you worry that it could happen to you?

AK: Even though I know this cat loves me, she is still a cougar. I always have someone standing by when I go in the cage and she is always tethered by a chain and collar while I clean it. I have plenty of scars from the other animals though. Each one has a story and a face that I lovingly recall, and each one was a lesson in respect and compassion.

WW: With all the giving you do for wildlife, what do you get in return?

AK: My heart is made up of many facets of my life, but my favorite pieces are the paw prints that came from Natures children. Those I have known and lost will be with me forever, and those that went free were my truest triumphs. They are all my teachers. None pass this world without impact and without teaching me something about what they need to grow and heal. I can think of doing nothing more worthy with my life but this.

WW: Once released, do you ever see the animals again?

AK: (with perfectly straight face) They never call, they never write.

I hope you have enjoyed learning of this remarkable young woman. I must confess; I have a personal reason for bringing it to you. The future of Wild Heart Ranch is in jeopardy. Donations have dwindled while expenses have increased. In addition, Annette's husband, Robby, has developed some serious health problems and is unable to hold a steady job. Please visit her web site, http://www.wildheartranch.org/, to see how you can help. Annette, as well as this old photographer, would surely appreciate it.

Editor's Comment: Let us know what you think! Please email the Editor to let us know your thoughts.

Warren Williams has been doing photography for over 25 years focusing mainly on Nature and wildlife. His work has been published in several magazines, including Outdoor Photographer, Outdoor Oklahoma, Oklahoma Today, and Persimmon Hill (the magazine of the Cowboy Hall of Fame). Several of his photos have also appeared on calendars by Smith-Southwestern. Warren is an active member on PhotoMigrations and invites you to visit his website located at: Warren Williams Photography - Images of Wildlife and Nature.