‘I Will Love Him and Hug Him and Call Him George’

Ever want to feed a baby squirrel with a baby bottle or help an orphaned cottontail survive in this wild and crazy world?

The Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina will teach you how. The organization is offering a class later this month designed to increase the number of people who are properly trained to rehabilitate baby mammals native to the area. The class is part of the organization’s annual symposium, and those who take the class could become eligible for a wildlife rehabilitator license.

Organizers warn, however, you should not take the class if you see it as a way to make some cuddly, new friends:

Wildlife rehabilitation entails a lot of time, some amount of money, some joy and some heartache. These animals are NOT to be perceived as pets but as temporary charges that will be released into the wild. They must be nurtured but handled as little as possible so they will have a successful release.

The symposium, which includes the rehab class, runs Jan. 25 through Jan. 27 at N.C. State University’s Centennial Campus. It costs $60 if you register before Jan. 11, and $70 if you register after. For more information or to register, click here.