Photo: Eva Hartman
A volunteer is building one of the fences in the new facility of the Internal Society for Wildlife Rehabilitation.
The fences are ready, now they only need the patients.
The in-house Wildlife Rehabilitation Society has been given the green light by federal and provincial governments to open its new facility in Summerland.
It is the first approved wildlife rehabilitation center in Okanagan, north of Oliver.
“We have built species-specific homes with various therapeutic pools for waterfowl, native turtles and other species living around the shores of our lakes and streams. We can proudly say that we have passed the inspection of the facility carried out by government officials, including the British veterinarian for wild animals from British Columbia Kaylee Tucker, “said President and Founder Eva Hartman, who is herself a registered veterinary technician.
Previously, euthanasia or long-distance transportation outside the valley were the only options available for wildlife other than birds of prey.
The facility has the right to care for local small mammals and waterfowl, but deer, elk and large predators, as well as invasive species, are not covered by these permits.
Injured or sick eagles, owls and other birds of prey will continue to be cared for at the SORCO Raptor Rehabilitation Center in Oliver, which has been operating for several years.
Members of the public will not be able to leave animals in the new facility.
“We do not accept direct releases from the public, but once they are evaluated and considered a candidate for rehabilitation by a professional, our volunteers will transport the animal to the IWRS medical facility for admission,” Hartman said.
“Our property is not open to the public due to permit restrictions and its exact location remains undisclosed in Summerland.”
One reason is that injured wildlife needs peace and quiet to recover, and too much human activity will stress them out. The other reason is to discourage people from abducting baby animals that may look like orphans, but are actually just waiting for their parents to return.
Under British Columbia Wildlife Act and the Migratory Birds Act, it is illegal for the public to keep wildlife in their possession for more than 24 hours.
You can find more information about the IWRS, including its network of veterinary clinics, here.
Photo: Eva Hartman
An enclosure for shore birds in the new wildlife rehabilitation center.
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