hi everyone today we're at the North Island Recovery center where they rehabilitate
injured animals and care for the ones that cannot be re-released. let's go and explore!
the North Island Wildlife rescue association is a world-class non-profit rehabilitation center
founded in 1985. the goal of this eight-acre facility is to reintroduce as many animals
back into the wild as possible and to educate the public about wildlife and environmental issues.
so far they've cared for over 23 000 animals including birds with broken wings,
orphaned black bears and electrocuted eagles.
the center also cares for more than 60 resident animals who call the center home
they're unable to return to the wild because of injury or other circumstances.
this beautiful great gray owl is named Farley. Farley lives
at the center because he was found near 100 mile house BC. after being hit by a vehicle
as a result of that collision Farley's wing was badly broken and had to be partially amputated.
King Alfred is a golden eagle
despite the name she's actually a female eagle who was brought
to the center after suffering a gunshot wound to her right wing.
since she can't fly she's non-releasable and will continue to live at the center. Ralph and Lonan
Ralph is a raven who was raised by people at a young age before being set free.
because he was partially domesticated he never
learned to find his own food so he's been taken in by the center for care.
ravens are excellent flyers who can perform aerobatics similar to hawks and falcons.
at one time they were considered vermin in bc with a cash bounty on their head,
but this practice was thankfully abandoned in the 1960s.
Quinn and Oliver are barred owls. Quinn was another victim of a motor
vehicle incident and was left with a serious eye injury that left him blind in one eye.
Elvis is a Swainson's hawk who was an animal rescue. he was confiscated from people who
kept him as a pet tied to their apartment balcony railing. swainson's hawks have one of the longest
migrations of any raptor they can fly up to 18 000 kilometers south from central bc to argentina.
swainson's hawks are listed as endangered in bc. they'd seen a large drop in population in
south america because of the widespread use of insecticides and pesticides,
but those practices have since been halted and they're starting to bounce back.
Patrick was a captive bred peregrine falcon. Patrick was brought to the
center because he suffers from seizures and is no longer able to fly as a falconry bird.
captive bred peregrine falcons are often used as working birds to scare
away other birds from airports and golf courses they're also used in the sport of
falconry. Sander is a bald eagle who was found stranded on port alberni highway suffering from
a crushed wing starvation and seizures. because of his injury Sandor can't fly but he remains at
the center as an animal ambassador and often likes to greet visitors at his enclosure.
Newt and Ray are the two black bears that live at the center. Newt was born in captivity and
rejected by his mother. he lives at the center so that they can learn about the habits of black
bears so that they'll be able to successfully release rehabilitated bears in the future.
Ray is a young female black bear she was found
along the highway starving and unsteady on her feet likely due to head trauma.
although she's done well in recovery she's going to require ongoing care for the rest of her life.
right now Newt and Ray are cuddled up in this little den here but behind them
is a large spacious enclosure that they're able to explore.
if you're interested in adopting any of these animals you can visit niwra.org
and check out the various adoption packages
also on display is this raven song canoe crafted by bill halen.
carved from a great red cedar tree that was 550 years old. it was the first canoe carved in bill's
tribe in over a hundred years the canoe is 40 feet long and features a raven spirit bear design.
it was also featured on display during the 2010 winter olympics in Vancouver bc.
inside you can also visit the museum of nature which showcases the animals of Vancouver Island.
here's the full skeleton of a full-grown cougar
and one of the gray wolf
and let's take a peek inside the old trapper's cabin. hope you enjoyed our visit to the North
Island's Wildlife Recovery Center. we'll be headed off on another adventure soon,