The Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society is expecting a busy baby season this year, as a result of hundreds of community inquiries about sick and injured wildlife in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions.
In their first season, which was only six months of 2022, Interior Wildlife admitted over 70 animals and answered over 600 public inquiries about potential wildlife in need of human care or veterinary assessment.
Eva Hartmann, the founder of the society, says some of the inquiries were regarding skunk kits stuck in window wells, juvenile red squirrels kept by kids as temporary pets and ducklings falling into storm drains.
“We even received a mallard that crashed and broke a Kelowna resident’s window being chased by an eagle,” Hartmann adds.
Interior Wildlife has no interest in interfering with natural cycles of wildlife, including predator-prey relationships, but if an accident occurs and an injured wild animal is in human care, they will help.
“Be that expert advice, coordinating veterinary assessment or professional wildlife care by licensed facilities we work with,” Hartmann explains.
Now that the society has renewed their permits, Hartmann says they are "getting ready" for baby season, which begins in early spring.
Stacy Wolfenden, the fundraising committee head, says the community support for Interior Wildlife has been amazing.
“We can help wildlife because of the dedication and hard work of our volunteers and community donations by local businesses and individuals,” Wolfenden adds.
Interior Wildlife was able to secure two community project grants from the Central Okanagan Foundation.
On April 7, the Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society is hosting a ‘Wild About Spring’ fundraiser.
Award winning wildlife movies will be screened to financially support the society’s newest project, an aquatic outdoor enclosure for wild mammals such as beavers and otters.
Wolfenden says: “Stay tuned for auction and movie details."
For more information about Interior Wildlife, click here.
