The Orphan Care Unit (OCU) is dedicated to the care of young, orphaned wildlife such as squirrels and finches. As they are found along the West Coast of the US, Canada, and Mexico, another species we care for in the OCU are nestling and juvenile California Scrub-Jays.
On the afternoon of May 11th, patient #22-078 hauled out on Broad Beach in Malibu. Weighing 103 lbs. and measuring just over five feet long, few people might think to call the CWC Marine Mammal Rescue Team out for a wellness check.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are named for their large mule-like ears that can rotate and move toward sounds like little satellite dishes detecting precise locations of sounds to escape danger. They flee with high jumps, leaping and landing on all four legs.
Each spring CWC gets hundreds of calls from the public regarding baby birds that have fallen from the nest. This can be a very stressful moment for everyone. Seeing a baby bird appearing “helpless” on the ground can induce panic. Being on the phone with the person who sees this baby bird on the ground can be even more panic inducing! So, stay calm and follow these guidelines if you encounter young birds on the ground.
If you have a birdfeeder in California or have an eye for birds flittering by the side of the trail, you’ve seen House Finches. They’re small, lively, streaky grey birds; only about 21gm (0.74oz) on average. The males’ heads, chests, and shoulders are boldly colored red or reddish orange, looking like they’ve been dipping a little too deeply into somebody’s red wine! Last year, CWC received just over 300 of these little birds that had been rescued by the public, many of them babies still dependent on their parents (or we humans as substitutes…) for care.
My journey with CWC began back in 2019, when I became a volunteer in the Orphan Care Unit. At this time, I was months away from graduating with my bachelor’s degree didn’t have much of an idea of what to do next. During my time volunteering, I had the opportunity to work with other interns who all really enjoyed their internship, which made me think about applying for the position.
CWC responds to hundreds of distressed marine mammals along the Malibu coastline each year, performing rescues when appropriate. The strength and backbone of the program stems from our team of devoted volunteers. Without their countless hours of demanding work, our ability to efficiently investigate reports and care for in-house patients would be hindered. Thus, the higher the skillset of team volunteers, the greater the number of distressed animals that can be offered assistance.
Spring and summer are fast paced and exciting at CWC. Patients pour in through the doors and we never know what surprises await us each day. This time of year, all our focus is on the thousands of wild animals we receive that need our help. But as fall arrives, our patient load drops, and we can focus on other things like construction and remodeling.
2021 was quite a year here at California Wildlife Center (CWC). This past year we had 4,013 animals come to our facility. Our Wildlife Technicians are directly responsible for the care of our patients and every patient that came through our doors was assessed by the technicians in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
This Great Horned Owl was brought to CWC from West Valley Animal Control one afternoon back in late September. There was no history to go with the transfer, why she had come into care was unknown. What was immediately apparent however, were abrasions on the bird’s cere (the base of the upper beak) and, although the talons could still grip, she was dehydrated and unable to stand. The wounds were cleaned and subcutaneous fluid given to rehydrate the bird.