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March 2013
Dear friend,
The
rustling of the bushes and leaves, the early morning signing - a flurry of
spring-like activity started in early March on the BC coast, weeks before the
season actually changed.
While other parts of the province are still enjoying
winter activities, wildlife rehabilitators are preparing for a busy year ahead.
Across the province, centres admitted all-time high patient numbers last year
and they expect another peak year in 2013.
If you ever wanted to volunteer to
help wildlife in need, there is no better time to do so. Opportunities range
from animal care activities hands-on at your local centre, to fundraising and
outreach assistance which can be done from anywhere.
Helping
to spread the word about wildlife issues in BC is another great role you can
play – share this newsletter with a friend or pass on a story to us about an
important issue in your community.
With appreciation,
Sara Dubois
Manager, Wildlife Services
PS. You can multiply your impact! Forward this message to friends, family and colleagues.
Spring arrives early
as Wild ARC prepares for its annual Open House
Mild
winter temperatures can send mixed signals to wildlife and the first baby of
the year has arrived a month early at Wild ARC, as the facility still prepares
for its annual Open House April 6 & 7, 2013.
In 2012, the first baby
squirrel arrived April 10th, but this year’s early arrival is just a
small indication of what is yet to come for Wild ARC!
Birds are
already nesting and their babies are also likely to arrive in need of help
within the next few weeks. Now is your chance to take a behind-the-scenes
tour of the facility before too many babies arrive.
Reservations for the Wild ARC Open House are required
so
be sure to tell your family and friends to book soon!
Photo Credit: Christina Carrieres, Senior Wildlife Rehabilitator
Dear Easter Bunny – medical supplies urgently needed
Instead of chocolate eggs this year, Wild ARC staff are
hoping the Easter Bunny will leave them a few different treats.
Rehabilitators
care for the specialized needs of over 160 different species of injured and orphaned wildlife
annually. The right medicine, foods and equipment are what enable them to do
this important work.
Wild ARC staff is asking the Easter Bunny this month to
help them in acquiring these new tools for the 2,500 animals that will be
treated in 2013 – maybe you know some “bunny” who could also help? A tax receipt can be issued for the donation’s pre-tax
value of items with proof of receipt.
Photo Credit: Christina Carrieres, Senior Wildlife Rehabilitator
Building for today and the future
Wild
ARC celebrated its’ 15th anniversary in 2012 with an incredible 20%
increase in animal patients.
To accommodate the increased need for housing, new
facilities are underway plus upgrades to aging enclosures, thanks to several
generous legacies for capital projects.
A new aquatic pool pen started in 2011,
will be completed this spring and be ready for even more pelicans in the
future.
Our avian and mammal outdoor enclosures will get a complete facelift this
year too, and will be ready for the next 15 years!
Infrastructure projects are
vital to ensure the proper functioning of the centre, and with recent upgrades
to our septic, heating and hot water systems, the BC SPCA is proud to be
operating a state-of-the-art and energy-efficient wildlife centre.
Photo Credit: Christina Carrieres, Senior Wildlife Rehabilitator
Owl TV: Get a rare
peek at young owlets via live owl-cam
In February, the BC SPCA Wild ARC was called by
a member of the public concerned that there may be an injured owl outside an
office building in suburban Saanich.
When Jeff
Krieger of Alternative Wildlife Solutions and also a volunteer at Wild ARC
visited the site, he confirmed there were three eggs under a female great
horned owl. The pair of owls inexplicably selected this rather public place to
nest and raise their young.
While great horned owls are fairly common to Vancouver
Island, it is unusual for them to nest in busy suburban areas, let alone choose
a concrete planter outside an office building window. More commonly, these
nearly two-foot long owls tend to take over the old nests of large birds such
as crows or hawks, or use squirrel nests, tree cavities or rock crevices as
nest sites.
Hancockwildlife.org, who operate a number of live eagle nest cameras in the province, were contacted
and have since installed three live cameras.
Visit Wild ARC Plant
Pot Hooters
Photo credit: Hancockwildlife.org
Wildlife health check
Imagine having a job where not only do you provide hands-on care to wildlife in need, but you
also have a hand in monitoring wildlife health in a broader sense. This is
exactly what a wildlife rehabilitator does!
Right
now, B.C. wildlife rehabilitators are providing research data to provincial and federal
authorities on snowy owl intake and mortality. Normally a rare sight, snowy
owls were reported in record numbers across the province last year.
Unfortunately,
a number of the birds were found ill – likely suffering from starvation – and
brought to wildlife rehabilitation centres for treatment. The data provided by
wildlife rehabilitators will help government biologists to better understand
what forced the birds south and why so many died.
Wild
animals are often the first to show symptoms of a larger problem in their
environment. Their health status can reflect changes in habitat quality,
disease incidence and pollution levels.
Wildlife rehabilitators, therefore, are
in a unique position to help identify risks to wildlife health, which in turn
provides an indication of possible threats to ecosystem health.
Photo credit: Janet Derasp, BC SPCA 2012 Wildlife-In-Focus Photography Contest
Living With Wildlife 2013 conference comes to Vancouver
The
BC SPCA will be co-sponsoring the 2013 Living With Wildlife conference
hosted by the Association for the Protection for Fur-bearing Animals on
September 20th, 2013.
This is the first event of its kind to be held
in Vancouver, as past LWW conferences have taken place in Toronto.
The
gathering will bring together local wildlife experts, researchers, members of
the public, and government officials, to look for compassionate solutions for
conservation and wildlife management issues. Join us at the Creekside Community
Centre for this informative meeting.
Photo Credit: Cailey Hesse, BC SPCA 2012 Wildlife-In-Focus Photography Contest
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