Just finished on Saturday, already has 3 patients making use of it on Sunday! And we need so much more!
Please help! Your support has gotten us this far, thank you! And we still have a long way to go!
video shot/edited by Laura Corsiglia
A video of a recent day at our new facility in Manila!
You can help us stay afloat!! Please donate to help us rebuild, and most importantly, care for the hundreds of wild orphans that are coming our way no matter what! WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
Thank you!!
video shot by Monte Merrick and Laura Corsilgia, edited by Soro Cyrene and Laura. (thanks Soro!!!)
We still have a long way to go to rebuild our patient housing, such as our aviaries and pools that we couldnt move, but we are now admitting wild animals in need at our new facility, thanks to you!
Check out our video to see the progress your support has secured!
Obviously we have a lot more to do and we need your help very much! Spring baby season is almost upon us and we still need songbird aviaries, an appropriate aviary for hawks, for Mallard ducklings, a better laundry facility – also a roof repair! I know that many of you have been very generous already – our appreciation can’t be overstated! Thank you!!! But we still “have miles to go before we sleep”. Please donate if you can!!
video edited by Soro Cyrene! (Thank you, Soro!!!)
With your generous support, we’ve achieved our first goal of raising the money for our downpayment and closing costs! Now we move on to permitting and then making the move! Your help is still needed of course, but we are deeply grateful and kind of blown away by the support you’ve given! Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for helping us help wildlife! and if you’d like to support our work and our move to be secure and sustainable please donate here!
video editing: Soro Cyrene
With a 3 month extension on our current lease, it’s “GO-time” for Humboldt Wildlife Care Center to secure the financing for our new location and make our move! It’s exciting, stressful, thrilling and a little scary and you can help make it all better!
Thank you for supporting us since 1979! Thank you for helping with this bold effort to make our future more secure, our work sustainable and to be here to help our region’s injured and orphaned wild neighbors without interruption! If you can, please DONATE to help us make our move!
video editor: Soro Cyrene
In mid-November, Humboldt Wildlife Care Center took a call about a fox found lying in the middle of the road near the Shelter Cove Fire Department. The fox couldn’t walk, could barely move.
Shelter Cove is a considerable distance from HWCC – getting help for the fox meant coordinating with the firefighter in Shelter Cove and the staff of Garberville Redway Veterinary Group who generously agreed to take the fox for the night and provide stabilization treatment while we arranged transportation for the following morning.
After driving to Garberville the next day, we had the Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in care.
Although he could not use his legs, he did have sensation in his back feet, and tried to move them as he was being handled. A good sign.
Within a few days the fox was able to stand and take a few weak steps. After six days, he could walk and stand easily. We moved him to outdoor housing to test his ambulation. Immediately he ran to the far side of our mammal housing. He did stumble a bit when he reached the other side, about 30 feet away, which was important to note as an observation. Nevertheless his run was a very remarkable display.
Over the next couple of weeks his coordination continued to improve, until we could not perceive that he’d ever had a problem. He was in fine form. At his release examination, he answered all the questions correctly, including his four hundred gram weight gain in three weeks – having come in at 3500 grams, he was going home at 3900! He liked his thawed rats from Layne Labs
At the first break in weather after the recent storms, BAX boardmember, release photographer, wild family reunion specialist, administrative miracle worker, and fine artist Laura Corsiglia and one of our wonderfully giving HWCC volunteers, Christine, took the Gray Fox back to Shelter Cove. Ordinarily Laura gets incredible shots of patients at release, as can be seen on this very site! But not this time. When Christine opened the door, the quick gray fox jumped through the hated door and was gone. Laura did get this video.
Thanks to your support over the last 44 years, HWCC has been here for wild animals in need, doing the best we could do with what we had. This fox had a place to heal because you provide the resources that are needed. Now as we go through the stress and excitement, the fear and the promise, of moving our facility, we and our patients need you. Please help keep our doors open, so we can keep opening doors for our wild neighbors who need a second chance. Thank you!!!!
photos/video: BAX/ Laura Corsiglia
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This podcast is the recording of a conversation over the internet (please forgive the occasional audio glitch!) with Veronica Bowers the founder and executive director of Native Songbird Care and Conservation in Sebastapol, California. Veronica is a leader in rehabilitative songbird care, a powerful advocate for songbird conservation and protection and a standard setter for excellence in wildlife rehabilitation. It was a great pleasure to sit down and talk with her about achieving excellence, maintaining high standards over time, mentoring those who are new to the field of wildlife rehabilitation and keeping oneself healthy and sane despite the stress, sorrow and trauma that are an inescapable part of this work. Pour yourself a mug of chamomile and settle in for a long chat with Veronica Bowers!
After nearly a year of watching the latest outbreak of a virus in wild birds and commercial flocks travel across the US, reaching California at the Summer’s end, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has recently been detected in Humboldt County.
Two Cackling Geese (Branta hutchinsii) and Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) that Humboldt Wildlife Care Center submitted for testing, as well as a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) carcass found in Orick and submitted for testing by the National Park Service, have been returned with prelimnary positives, and have been sent to a national laboratory for further confirmation. Since then, three Ravens (Corvus corax) have also tested positive for this deadly strain (H5N2).
Avian influenza is a common disease. Waterfowl act as a reservoir species for the virus, often showing no signs of illness. But during outbreaks, especially virulent strains can lead to mortality events among wild birds, and staggering losses in commercial poultry flocks. What distinguishes HPAI from other avian influenzas is that HPAI kills 90-100% of chickens in a lab setting.
The most susceptible wild species, besides geese and ducks, appear to be Raptors (hawks, owls, falcons), Corvids (ravens, crows, jays, etc) and Gulls. Songbirds are not considered to be high risk species as they have a very low infection rate and shed very low quantities of the virus. At this time there is no need or recommendation to take down songbird feeders unless you also have a backyard flock of ducks or chickens. (see more about avian influenza and songbirds)
For more information on HPAI in commercial flocks and wildlife
For more information on human health related to HPAI
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0428-avian-flu.html
During the course of this outbreak, HWCC/bax is still admitting all wild birds in need for care, but with strict guidelines to protect our patients and also monitor the virus as it spreads through local populations. Our staff is prepared and ready to aid birds, as well as help local resource agencies monitor and slow the advance of HPAI. If you see or find a sick bird, please CALL 707 822 8839. If you have questions or concerns about this virus, feel free to call us – our staff will be happy to answer any questions that we can or point you to more resources that will help you protect any birds you have.
Thank you for your support during this time, and thank you for caring about wild birds, and all of our wild neighbors. Your support now, and always, is what keeps our doors open. You make our work possible. Thank you.
The awesome Seeds for Change round-up program of the North Coast Co-op raises tens of thousands of dollars for area non-profit organizations each year simply by encouraging shoppers to round-up their purchase price! Benefitting from this program made a huge difference during our busy Summer months caring for hundreds of orphaned wild babies. If you are a member of the Co-op, you can help us continue to have this crucial support at a critical time by voting for us now! Voting closes November 10th!
Regardless of the outcome, this program is a wonderful way to help many non-profits with a much needed boost, and all it costs is a little bit of change when you shop! Thanks to the Co-op for offering this program, and thanks to the membership for helping us be a part of the awesomeness.
And thank you, as always, for your love for the Wild!
