Our wildlife rehabilitation centre is busy as usual! Last year, we admitted 2,132 sick, injured and orphaned wild animals, and we expect just as many in the coming season.
Why do wild animals need help?
Most of the animals that arrive at Wild ARC (around 80 per cent) need help because of human activity. This is because we have created a situation that either harmed the animal or caused it to become orphaned. The most common reasons we admit wildlife include:
- Collisions with vehicles
- Capture by free-roaming outdoor cats or off-leash dogs
- Collisions with windows or buildings
How many animals does Wild ARC treat?
During our first full year of operation we admitted just over 1,500 wild patients. Last year, we treated 2,132 animals. Over the years, our numbers have increased because more people know we are here to help, but also because humans continue to expand our urban areas. With more people and less undisturbed wildlife habitat, human-wildlife interactions are increasingly common.
Have you ever wondered why wildlife rehabilitators call the summer months the ‘busy season’? We admit wild animals all year long, but during the spring and summer our patient numbers increase a lot. This is because most wild species are having babies during this time, making both parents and young more vulnerable.
What kind of wildlife does Wild ARC admit?
We rehabilitate a wide variety of bird and mammal species, as well as a few reptiles and amphibians. Because we are on Vancouver Island, the ocean creates a traveling barrier. There are fewer mammal species here than on the mainland. Since 1997, we have treated more than 180 animal species including birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. In an average year, 70 per cent of our patients are birds, and the remaining 30 per cent are mammals. We only occasionally admit amphibians or reptiles. Check out a few examples of Wild ARC patient species highlights (PDF).
