If you find an injured, sick or orphaned wild animal, contact a wildlife rehabilitation centre that can provide specialized and immediate medical care. If you must handle the animal, wear protective clothing and equipment such as leather gloves to avoid bites or scratches and wash your hands well after handling the animal.

Consult our list of wildlife rehabilitation centres below. This list is not exhaustive.

Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Nova Scotia Ontario Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon

Alberta

Province-wide: Alberta Society for Injured Birds of Prey Tel: 780-922-3024 E-mail: [email protected]

Calgary: Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (CWRS) Tel: 403-239-2488 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.calgarywildlife.org

Cochrane: Cochrane Ecological Institute – Cochrane Wildlife Reserve Tel: 403-932-5632 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.ceinst.org Accept migratory/ song birds, as well as terrestrial wildlife ranging from small to large mammals, native amphibians, and avian wildlife.

Edmonton: Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Edmonton Tel: 780-914-4118 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.wildlife-edm.ca Accept all species of birds and small mammals, excluding adult skunks (babies are accepted), bats, pigeons, larger mammals such as deer, moose, etc. [/one_half] [one_half_last]

Lethbridge area: Coaldale Rehabilitation Centre Tel: 403-345-4262 Email: [email protected] Web: www.burrowingowl.com/about/contact.php  Specializing in Raptors, do not accept migratory/ song birds, or other types of animals. Can provide contact information. Provide environmental learning sessions from May 10 to September 10.

Red Deer: Medicine River Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre Tel: 403-728-3467 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.medicineriverwildlifecentre.ca Accept migratory/ songbirds, raptors, all wildlife from the area.

British Columbia

Province-wide: Wildlife Rehabilitators Network of British Columbia Tel: 250-847-5101 E-mail: [email protected]

Abbotsford: Elizabeth’s Wildlife Centre Society Tel: 604-852-9173 E-mail: [email protected] *Use phone number for emergencies* Web: www.elizabethswildlifecenter.org Accept (specialize in) migratory/ song birds as well as small mammals (squirrels, possums, rabbits)

Courtenay: Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society Tel: 250-337-2021 Email: [email protected] Web: www.wingtips.org Accept migratory/ songbirds. Accept deer during the summer, other wildlife is accepted for transport.

Delta: O.W.L. Rehab Society Tel: 604-946-3171 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.owlcanada.org Birds of prey only, no migratory/ songbirds (only dead ones to be used as food).

Langley: Critter Care Wildlife Society Tel: 604-530-2064 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.crittercarewildlife.org/index.php Rehabilitate native animals ranging from squirrels to black bear cubs. Do not accept birds.

Prince Rupert: Prince Rupert Wildlife Rehab Shelter Tel: 250-624-4159 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.prwildlifeshelter.org/ This location accepts migratory/song birds as well as all other types of wildlife.

Vancouver: Marine Mammal Rescue, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre Tel: 604-258-SEAL (7325) E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.vanaqua.org/ Only marine mammals and sea turtles accepted at this location

Victoria: BC SPCA Wild Arc – Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre Tel: 250-478-9453 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.spca.bc.ca/branches/wild-arc/ Accepts migratory/ song birds, as well as mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Able to treat native and non-native species, with the exception of predatory species (bears, cougars, wolves).

Manitoba

Province-wide: The Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre Tel: 204-878-3740 email: [email protected] Web: www.wildlifehaven.ca This location receives over 3,000 animals per year. The Centre is equipped to handle all avian species, including large birds of prey and herons, as well as most native Manitoba mammals. It’s the home of Manitoba’s only accredited Wildlife Veterinary hospital, with a full-time veterinarian and a team of certified wildlife rehabilitators.

Winnipeg: Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre Tel: 204-510-1855 email: [email protected] Web: www.pwildlife.ca This location accepts all species of birds including migratory/ song birds, as well as reptiles, and small to medium sized mammals (excluding deer, skunks, and raccoons).

New Brunswick

Moncton: Greater Moncton SPCA Tel: (506) 857-8698 Email: [email protected] Web: www.monctonspca.ca/ House wildlife and transfer to rehabilitation centre.

Sackville: Atlantic Wildlife Institute Tel: (506) 364-1902 E-mail: [email protected] Web: atlanticwildlife.ca Accept migratory/ songbirds, all species of wildlife including species at risk.

Nova Scotia

Colchester county (Hilden): Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Tel: 902 893-0253 E-mail: [email protected] Web: cwrc.net/cms/wp/  This location accepts all bird species including migratory/ songbirds, as well as small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

Seaforth: Hope for Wildlife Society Tel: 902-407-WILD(9453) E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.hopeforwildlife.net/ They accept all native Nova Scotia wildlife, including migratory/ songbirds.

Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park Tel: (902) 758-2040 E-mail: [email protected] Web: wildlifepark.gov.ns.ca This location accepts all indigenous wildlife as well as migratory/ songbirds.

Ontario

Province of Ontario: Ontario Wildlife Rescue Tel: 416-436-9892 Email: [email protected] Web: www.ontariowildliferescue.ca/

Kitchener-Waterloo: Turtle Haven Tel: 519-745-4334 Email: [email protected] Web: www.turtlehaven.ca/ Focus on native turtles. Possesses a list of wildlife custodians in the Waterloo Region that will accept migratory/ songbirds.

Ottawa: Wild Bird Care Centre Tel: 613-828-2849 Email: [email protected] Web: www.wildbirdcarecentre.org/ This location accepts all species of birds including raptors, waterfowl, and migratory/ songbirds.

Ottawa: Safe Wings Ottawa Tel: 613-216-8999 Email: [email protected] Web: https://safewings.ca This location accepts all species of wild birds, providing immediate medical care after hours when the Wild Bird Care Centre is closed.

Ottawa County (North Gower): Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary Tel: 613-258-9480 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.rideauwildlife.org/ Accept wild mammals and turtles.

Peterborough County: Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre Tel: 705-741-5000 E-mail: [email protected] Web: https://ontarioturtle.ca/ Only turtles accepted.

Rockwood: SOAR – Songbirds Only Avian Rehabilitation Tel: 519-856-4510 E-mail: [email protected] Web: soar-southernontario.org/ Only migratory/ songbirds accepted.

Toronto: Toronto Wildlife Centre Tel: 416-631-0662 Web: www.torontowildlifecentre.com/ 

Utterson: A Wing And A Prayer, Muskoka Centre for Wild Birds Tel: 705-385-1488 Accept all species of birds, as well as migratory/ songbirds. Can refer mammals and other wildlife to regional wildlife centres.

Windsor: Erie Wildlife Rescue, Inc. Tel: 519-969-3919 Email: [email protected] Web: www.eriewildliferescue.ca/  Accept all native species to the region, as well as migratory/ songbirds.

Quebec

Montreal: Urban Animal Advocates, Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre Tel: 514-366-9965 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Urban-Animal-Advocates/356366047798288?sk=info Leave message, they will return call.  Specialize in non-birds (mammals, reptiles, etc) with the exception of Pigeons. Contact le Nichoir for songbirds.

Southwest region, Montérégie (Hudson): Le Nichoir Bird Rehabilitation Centre Tel: 450-458-2809 Web: lenichoir.org/  Accept birds, as well as migratory/ songbirds

Saskatchewan

Province of Saskatchewan: Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan

Tel: 306-242-7177 Email: [email protected] Web: www.wrsos.org

Moose Jaw: Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre Tel: 306-692-8710 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.skburrowingowl.ca/  This is not a rehabilitation centre, but an educational centre. They will accept burrowing owls for rehabilitation only.

Yukon

Whitehorse: Yukon Wildlife Preserve Tel: 867-456-7328 Web: www.yukonwildlife.ca/

Not sure if an animal is sick, injured or orphaned?

Sick or injured animals will often show these signs:

• Blood, wounds or swelling on the body
• Lethargy or coldness to the touch
• Body covered in fleas
• Unusual or uneven loss of fur or feathers
• Vocalizing and/or following humans around
• A fawn that is wandering around
• Contact with a domestic cat
• Difficult or raspy breathing or sneezing
• A dangling appendage
• Closed eyes
• Head tucked under wing

Just because a young animal is alone does not mean it is orphaned. It is normal for some species to leave their offspring temporarily alone, especially during the day. For example, deer and cottontail rabbits spend much of the day away from their well-camouflaged offspring to minimize the chance of predators finding them.To determine if young wildlife is truly orphaned:

• Check the animal periodically for 24 to 48 hours to see if it is still around, but keep your distance.
• Keep cats and dogs away from the area where the young animal is; the adult will not return if it is noisy or if predators or people are close by.

Please keep in mind that juvenile wild animals do not make good pets because they become difficult to handle as they grow. Once used to humans, released animals are not likely to survive in the wild because they do not have the necessary skills to stay alive. They may also be attracted to people, which may lead to their premature death. Wild animals can also be attracted to properties that provide shelter and/or food, resulting in conflict and property damage.