Enan Chediak Photography - Free Again rehabilitates Southern Illinois Wildlife

If you’ve ever seen a turtle crossing the road, you’ve probably wondered if it would make it across. Many times, they don't, and sometimes they are injured. In Carterville, Illinois, Beverly Shofstall works to rehabilitate wild animals in similar conditions at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and has been doing so for around 34 years.

Beverly Shoftstall’s dog and rabbit wait at the door of Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center April 1, 2024 in Carterville, Illinois. They are among the many pets that are at Free Again as well as the animals that they rehabilitate.

Emily Fielden (left) and Beverly Shofstall (right) overlook the list of tasks that they have to for the day April 1, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois Fielden is one of the volunteers that help to keep Free Again running.

Before she began rehabilitating animals, Shofstall worked as a veterinary technician for about 20 years. “In my background as a vet tech, people would bring animals in there and just leave them in boxes,” she said. “Of course, the vets didn’t want us messing with the wild animals when they were supposed to be paying us to take care of clients. So, it just became a little side hustle. Well, hustle implies that I got paid.”

Beverly Shofstall writes down information on a red-eared slider that was brought in by Mike Oyler from a roadside accident to Free Again in the morning of May 3, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois. Shofstall said that the wound to the shell was superficial enough that she could use a heavy-duty plumber’s epoxy to affix the shell until it would heal.

Casey Johnstone feeds a baby squirrel that was brought in by Whitney Voss on March 29, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois.

At the beginning, she had no intention of rehabilitating wild animals full-time. “It was just something to do to help whatever little animal came in at that moment,” she said. “However, once I realized it was a need, we thought it was going to be a very small rehab center. And it grew on its own…”

A baby opossum clings to a towel while being fed by Beverly Shofstall March 29, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois. This was one of the first opossums to be brought in this spring, and Shofstall said that this was a earlier than usual.

Beverly Shofstall holds a baby opossum in her hand March 29, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois.

A group of three orphaned foxes sit in their enclosure March 29, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois.

A few of the animals that are being rehabilitated May 3, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation center in Carterville, Illinois. The baby raccoons are loud in the mornings when they are hungry.

Beverly Shofstall said that she’s always had a love for animals. “I grew up on a farm. My first baby books were animal books. My parents recognized early on that that was my interest.” Although she has a love for animals, she also recognizes that rehabbing animals isn’t for the faint of heart. “It takes special type of people because it’s not an easy job. You’ve got to love animals, but you can’t love them too much where you get caught up in the emotions when one dies because, by the nature of our business, these are not always the healthiest animals coming in. So, we lose quite a few along the way.”

Bob Click follows Emily Fielden out with a tray of raw chicken and fish meat to feed to the bobcats and coyotes April 1, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois.

Bob Click feeds one of the bobcats April 1, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois. This bobcat is very accustomed to people and because of this will likely never be released into the wild.

Animals are brought into Free Again for many reasons beyond just injuries. “In the spring, of course, we get orphans,” Shofstall said. “There’s probably over a hundred right now.” These include raccoons, opossums, squirrels, foxes, rabbits, ground hogs, and other mammals. Certain animals are brought in year-round, such as owls and other birds of prey.

A goat and an escaped rat eat the feed that Bob click laid out for them April 1, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois. Most of the rats that live with the goats have escaped from the cages where they keep the rats that they feed to the bobcats and other animals.

Bob Click leaves the goat enclosure after feeding them April 1, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois.

Two raccoons come out to eat after Bob Click fed them on April 1, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois.

One of the owls in a birds-of-prey enclosure watches the people entering the enclosure March 29, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois.

But although rehabilitating animals can be difficult, there are some elements that make it worth the time, effort, and money. “The release date is the very best,” Shofstall said. For instance, after rehabilitating an eagle, she told a story of its release. “The big show came after everybody left,” she said, going on to describe how the eagle was released, meting another eagle in the sky. “They started to do an areal dance and flipping and turning. It was obviously its mate because it went right back to where it had been found. And it was almost a religious experience.”

A pair of gloves for handling birds of prey sits on a pile of folded sheets and newsprint paper used for the incoming orphaned animals May 3, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois.

Beverly Shofstall reaches for a net before entering an enclosure to catch one of the bald eagles that is ready to be released March 29, 2024 in Carterville, Illinois.

An eagle flies over Beverly and Jim Shofstall March 29, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois.

Jim Shofstall uses a net in an effort to catch an eagle to be released after rehab March 29, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois.

Jim Shofstall (right) ties a knot in the rope to fasten a blanket over the eagle’s travel enclosure in the back of Grant Anderson’s truck March 29, 2024 at the Free Again Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carterville, Illinois. Grant Anderson is a Conservation Police Officer, and he released this bald eagle for the rehabilitation center.

But the outlook is not all good for animal rehabilitation. As urban areas grow, the need for people doing work like Beverly Shofstall only grows as well. “They’re learning to live with us, but we haven’t caught up to learn to live with them,” she said. “I can’t be here forever. Other people are going to have to start taking up the slack.” There are many ways that people in the community can get involved through volunteer work and through donations of money, dog or cat food, and cleaning supplies to help maintain a thriving environment of wildlife in Southern Illinois.

A vulture flies from some roadkill on the side of the road April 26, 2024 in Cambria, Illinois. Many of the animals that are brought in to Free Again are brought in from roadside incidents.

A wild hawk sits on a power line overlooking a field April 29, 2024 in Colp, Illinois.