On a warm July day in 2022, an injured Southern Flying Squirrel teeters on the edge of survival. Laying on the forest floor, her small, delicate body is unable to heal itself after sustaining life-threatening injuries. Her once-strong limbs, built for soaring through the trees, have failed her.
She faces the grim realities of the wild—prolonged suffering or a violent strike from a predator. Just as her fate seems sealed, a human hand appears, lifting her gently from the ground. Her rescuer cares for her for six months before surrendering her to Jordan Castello, the founder of Feronia Wildlife Rehabilitation in Belmont County.
“I’ve had a love for animals my entire life,” says Castello.
Castello named the young flying squirrel Skye and works to provide her with the best life possible in captivity, but Skye can never be released into the wild—her injuries are permanent.
Though Skye’s initial rescuer’s intentions were good, they likely did more harm than good. Her injuries and her imprinting on people could have been prevented with the help of a professional rehabilitator had one been contacted sooner.
Castello obtained an education permit for Skye. Now, the pair is permitted to travel together, teaching crowds about local wildlife rehabilitation.
Feronia Wildlife Rehabilitation is the first and only wildlife rehabilitation in Belmont County and most surrounding counties. Castello manages the entire nonprofit out of her home in Bethesda. She helps around 75-100 animals a year.
Feronia falls under the identification of a home-based rehab, meaning it must follow different protocols than larger rehabilitation centers. Feronia cannot be open for public visitation.
Castello says her mother always told her, “give back to this world more than you take.” She has adopted this life motto, expressing that rehabbing wildlife is how she gives back to the world.
In 2013, Castello earned a degree in Zoology from Kent State University. While she did not use her degree much formally, she was always the one that people brought local animals to when they were in need. One day, someone brought Castello baby opossums.
“I was like, ‘I can’t keep these (opossums), that’s against the law! They’re wild animals!’” Castello says.
Castello took them to the nearest licensed wildlife rehabber in Zanesville. A year later, she received more opossums and made another trip to the same animal rehab. This time, she saw it as a sign.
“I have my degree in Zoology, and I absolutely love these guys. What do I have to do?” Castello said.
The Zanesville rehabber showed Castello the ropes. She has been rehabilitating wildlife ever since. She is now certified to rehabilitate, handle and care for a variety of animals such as songbirds, opossums, raptor birds, waterfowl, chipmunks and rabbits.
Castello believes this planet belongs to animals; we just live on it. She wants people to know how to properly help an injured or orphaned wild animal with as little interference as possible.
If an animal needs help, Castello advises gently putting it into a box that will keep it warm and placing it somewhere dark, quiet and safe. Then, she suggests a visit to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ website for more information before contacting the nearest rehabilitation center.
It is illegal to keep a wild animal without a license or permit. The best thing for a wild animal in need is to eventually release it. If that is not possible, it’s best for qualified rehabilitators to care for the animal in captivity.
Castello adds that kitten milk and other foods that are rumored to be suitable for baby wildlife are not good for them.
“Those things that you buy at the farm store aren’t good for the wildlife,” says Castello, “Can they survive on it and has it been done? Yes—but it does not mean that it’s healthy for them. (Rehabbers are) trained and know where to get the things that are specifically healthy for those animals.”
Castello works pro-bono. The operation costs come out of her pocket and from donations. Though grants are available for rehabs, they can be difficult to obtain for some rehabbers, and Feronia has not yet received any.
“The reward, payment and fulfillment come from seeing an animal grow to become an adult and knowing that, without what we did to help it, it wouldn’t exist,” Castello says. “That’s payment enough for me.”