Like many nonprofits, CWC’s greatest hope is for our services to be a last resort. We care deeply for our patients and treasure our experiences with them, but they arrive in our care due to accidents and illnesses.
By Jennifer Brent, Executive Director
Dr. Stephany Lewis examines a Raven while wearing a mask
Photo by Heather Patrice Brown
Like everyone in the world, we have been impacted by Coronavirus at California Wildlife Center. While many of its effects have been negative, it has surely shown us how resilient we are, and how much amazing support we have in the community.
We have had to discontinue the use of volunteers as we cannot support social distancing with the numbers of people we usually have on site. Our legions of interns from around the country who join us each summer to learn about wildlife husbandry have been asked to stay home. The extern program, which enables vet school students to work with Dr. Lewis, has been put on indefinite hiatus. However, we have also had some outstanding volunteers who have made us masks at home, who have brought us donations and snacks, created educational videos, and others who are assisting with bringing us animals from the shelters. We enjoy receiving their emails of encouragement and letting us know how much they miss the animals.
We have had five staffers out sick for extended periods, although thankfully none tested COVID-positive. Administrative staff have been working from their homes to minimize the number of people at CWC. For staff that is on site, masks are worn, social distancing is supported and temperatures are taken twice daily for all. We are bleaching all common surfaces three times a day and taking multiple other steps to keep everyone healthy.
Those of us who are here are focused on one thing-helping the patients. We all are doing laundry, preparing diets, mopping floors and feeding the hundreds of animals on site.
We’ve modified our intake procedures to support social distancing. Members of the public are asked to text all pertinent information rather than speak directly to staff on site. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in a reduction of our income as we often have rescuers offer a donation when they bring us an animal.
With stay-at-home orders, fewer people are outside, and we’ve also had a decline in the number of overall animals. It’s unclear whether that’s a result of a reduction in number of animals being injured by people or if they’re being injured at the same rate and just not being assisted and brought to us. With many of the local animal shelters closed, we are also receiving fewer injured or ill animals from them. Currently we are -29% intake numbers year to date. Spring and Summer are our busiest times and it’s difficult to judge where we will end up for the year. Our marine mammal program has responded to half of the number of calls as in 2019. Our belief is that, with homeowners and lifeguards on site, that this is simply a light year for strandings.
What we are certain of is that California Wildlife Center will endure through this crisis and continue to be here for the animals and residents of Southern California.
By Denys Hemen, Hospital Manager and Alyssa Schlange, Volunteer Manager
Boy Scouts work on an enclosure for CWC patients
Photo by Frank Johnson
California Wildlife Center is always growing and as our patient load increases, so does our enclosure usage. In this 20th year of operation, some of our older enclosures are beginning to deteriorate. Through experience and sharing knowledge with other rehabbers, we strive to improve enclosures wherever possible. That is where Eagle Scouts and Boy Scouts come in! So far this year, we have been fortunate to have had three scouts build new animal housing for us.
Evan Johnson from Troop 745 (Westlake Village) and Noah Fonck from Boy Scout Troop 117 (Brentwood) built new Opossum enclosures for CWC. These new two-story Opossum “townhouses” replaced some of our older enclosures that were starting to show their age. Each enclosure can be divided in half so we can accomodate more young orphaned Opossums that we typically see in the springtime. The center divider can slide open and comfortably house a large adult, if need be. CWC currently has over 60 Virginia Opossums in care so these enclosures are greatly needed!
Jason Leow, a member of the local Boy Scout Troop 224 (Malibu) has built much needed fledgling Mockingbird aviaries. Each year CWC houses more than 100 Northern Mockingbirds. You can hear them in the morning and afternoon, practicing their many calls that sometimes mimic car alarms and sirens. The three new smaller aviaries will allow many orphaned Mockingbirds outside housing that will give them the room to stretch their wings while continuing to be hand-fed by our staff every hour, shortening the time it takes for them to go to the larger aviary and then on to release.
The Boy Scouts are not the only scouts who have helped CWC this year. Girl Scout Skye Wildon of Girl Scout Troop 2626 (Calabasas) wanted to combine her love for art and animals when she set out to earn her Gold Award. For her project she made wood-cut enclosure signs for the Center to help volunteers navigate their way through the Center. She also hosted a CWC outreach event where she invited Daisy Girl Scouts from Calabasas to learn how they could help our native wildlife and what to do if they find an injured or orphaned animal.
CWC would like to thank these resourceful scouts and their teams for all the hard work they have put into these projects. They did a fantastic job! The staff ast CWC and our wild patients greatly appreciate it.
by Heather Henderson, Stranding Coordinator
Ribbon Cutting, Jennifer Brent (left), Shannen Doherty and “Zuma Jay” Wagner, Photo by Harry Vamos
On January 11, 2018 honored guests, staff, volunteers, and our first California sea lion pup patient of the season all gathered to officially unveil the new and improved marine mammal rehabilitation enclosures.
We were fortunate to be joined by longtime CWC supporters, actress Shannen Doherty and Malibu City Councilmember Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner. The entire project was made possible with funds from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. Mike Remski, Marine Mammal Program Manager, shared CWC’s rehabilitation and response history and details about why this rebuild had become a necessity.
2018’s first sea lion patient, Photo by Heather Henderson
Highlights of the new enclosures include additional drainage with sloping floors, a loading dock that provides access to the vehicles, and enhanced slip-proof entrance stairs. Finally, a redesign of the filtration system will enhance water quality during the busy season. The structure is built above ground, creating the perfect space for a seascape mural, donated and painted by former volunteer and friend of CWC, Ann Jin Chiu.
Throughout the presentation, the first sea lion pup of the season propped herself in the center enclosure, eyes closed and head held high. This body posture is generally displayed by sea lion patients as their health improves, suggesting that they are responding to care, and it is always wonderful to observe. While she was aware of the activity occurring in front of the enclosure, watching her behave in a natural manner is also a delightful sight, since our goal is to nurture these wild instincts. It was a great reminder of why the enclosure is so sorely needed.
by Heather Patrice Brown, Development Coordinator
Exam of the burnt tissue on the rabbit’s ears, Photo by Alyssa Schlange
Rabbit after surgery, Photo by Jamie Pelayo
This fall, when terrible wildfires ravaged the Southern California landscape, there came a spark of hope. A video went viral of a young man rescuing a wild rabbit from the flames of the Thomas Fire. The rabbit was initially brought to a local animal hospital and was then transferred to California Wildlife Center for care on December 6th.
The rabbit had suffered serious burns to her ears and toes, minor burns to her lips and singed fur all over her body. She was given pain relief and a quiet place to recover from shock. At first, she was not very active. There were concerns that she might have internal injuries from the fire as well as the obvious burns.
Rabbit returns to wild, Photo by Heather Patrice Brown
After two days, she began to perk up and eat again. The burn areas on her feet began to scab over, which was a sign of healing, but the burned tissue on her ears began to die. Dr. Duane Tom surgically removed the dead tissue from her ears. The overall shape of her ears did not change, so her hearing was not impacted. Dr. Tom also removed some dead tissue from her outside toes and she was still able to hop and get around.
The rabbit continued to recover and was transferred to a larger enclosure at the house of home care volunteer, Julie Gluck, for rehabilitation. Her appetite and activity level continued to increase. Her wounds healed well, and she was given a clean bill of health for release. On January 17th, she was released in Ventura. While she couldn’t be returned to her exact location because of the fire’s deforestation, she was released in a nearby area that had plenty of food, water and shelter. After a moment’s hesitation, the rabbit leapt out of the cage and quickly made her way to the cover of nearby bushes. The rabbit’s recovery from her horrible ordeal was a bright spot of hope amid the devastation of the fires.
by Jennifer Brent, Executive Director
Owl in soccer net, Photo by Fernando Romero
The day after Christmas we received an urgent call from the folks over at Chaminade College Prep in West Hills. They had found a Great Horned Owl caught in their soccer net. Students started to cut him free but were concerned about handling the owl. We were able to send Heather Henderson from the Marine Mammal rescue team to try to rescue the trapped bird. Throughout the rescue, the owl was calm and relaxed, but once she was completely separated from the netting, she regained her normally wild demeanor.
Heather transferred her to our hospital for our vet to check for injuries. The owl had suffered abrasions to a few toes on her left foot and perhaps a minor injury to her wing. X-rays revealed no actual signs of breakage, and she was confined to cage rest for a few days because of the duration and extent of her entanglement in the netting.
Owl being examined by CWC staff, Photo by Jennifer Brent
We did a test flight with the owl in one of our fully enclosed outdoor flight pens, and she soared! Volunteer Corby Sandberg, who brought the Great Horned Owl back to West Hills for release, said, “It was an uplifting experience…carrying the box with the owl in it felt light as a feather. When I opened the box and tipped it on its side – after some long pauses and curious wide-eyed looks around, it didn’t walk out, it swooped out without even a running start!”
Thanks again to the alert and caring students at Chaminade and to our volunteers who are able to assist with returning these wild creatures back where they belong.
Richard Zamora, Photo courtesy of Rebecca Wierda
Leaving a Legacy for Wildlife
We recently received a bequest from well-respected attorney, Richard “Rick” Zamora (1964-2016). Rick split his time between El Paso, TX and Venice, CA and had a thriving practice in Texas. Rick passed away suddenly on November 29th but his legacy lives on. Through his bequest to California Wildlife Center, thousands of imperiled wildlife will receive the care they need for a second chance at life.
Rick supported the protection of many endangered species and once said “When we speak for animals – it makes it easier for others to do the same.” He rescued two domestic rabbits that the owner was going to release to the wild. Realizing they would not survive, this kind and caring man took in the two fortunate animals and gave them run of his house. He also helped rehabilitate another domestic rabbit with a broken back.
Rick was described by this family as being someone who stood up for the underdog and who felt a great deal of compassion for animals in need.
Consistent with his life, Rick wanted to his legacy to help animals. He even stipulated that the military gun collection he left his nephews never be used for hunting or to harm animals. His family described him as very deliberate and desiring the most impact for his dollar when helping animals.
We are grateful to Rick for his gift that will continue to help the animals in need at CWC.
Thank you to Rebecca Wierda for sharing her brother’s story with us.
By Denys Hemen, Hospital Manager
X-Ray of Hawk with Bullet
At CWC we have received 36 patients so far this year that have been shot by a pellet, BB, or shotgun. Last year we received 51. In all of these cases the perpetrator was never known and most of the patients had to be euthanized. The animals were found by caring members of the public, unable to fly or crawl away. Most of these people had no idea that the animals had been shot and were very shocked to find out when they followed up with us over the phone. This can be a very frustrating situation for us and the public. We know there are multiple people in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas shooting wildlife, but we are helpless to address the situation without evidence. One day recently, that all changed.
A hawk was brought into our exam room unable to stand or fly. As we do with all our patients, CWC staff gathered important information from the rescuer. The rescuer told us how he found the hawk in his backyard and that he believed it was shot. He stated that he knew someone in his neighborhood that he had seen shooting birds. We quizzed him and made sure he had seen the gun in the person’s hand actively pointing at birds and firing. X-rays confirmed that the bird had pellet fragments inside it’s body. Finally, that helpless feeling began to go away. We gave the rescuer the contact information for the proper authorities. Then we followed up with the same department. We gave the rescuer’s contact information to the officer and by the next day they had contacted them. An officer arrived at the scene later that week and questioned the perpetrator who immediately admitted to the shooting. Justice had been served. Not only for the hawk but also for the numerous other birds this person had illegally shot.
Shooting nongame migratory birds is a federal offense and a state offense in California with fines that can reach into the thousands of dollars. This story proves that we are not always helpless when trying to protect our wildlife from poachers. Sometimes it pays off to be persistent. If we have proof, then the law is on our side. Even though our California State Park and California Department of Fish and Game departments are underfunded and understaffed, there are eager individuals who are passionate about our wildlife and are willing to serve justice. If you ever witness a person shooting non-game wildlife or shooting any wildlife in the city limits, please call the CalTIP line at 888-334-CALTIP or visit the website at www.wildlife.ca.gov/enforcement/caltip.
Sea Lion 17-1 is gaining weight in care and doing well.
Photo by Alyssa Schlange
By Heather Henderson, Stranding Coordinator
During this past fall and winter, between rescues calls for marine mammals, California Wildlife Center also worked to improve enclosure space. Walls were built around one entire pen, to keep the pups warm during the cold spring evenings, when temperatures drop below freezing. All the planning was well worth it, as just days after the upgrades were completed, the phone rang with reports of a California Sea Lion in need of assistance. CWC opened the doors to marine mammal rehabilitation earlier than ever before – January 1st.
Sea Lion 17-12 was hiding behind some fencing.
Photo courtesy of Kathleen Fanning Lojkovic
There are many challenges associated with performing rescues along the beautiful Malibu coastline. The first patient of the year was wedged far into a cave in the rocky cliffs. This location, compounded by the shorter winter days, could have proved unsuccessful had it not been for the caring people in Malibu.
Most rescues are prompted by reports from the public, after sighting an animal in need of supportive or veterinary care. The simple act of calling our hotline [310 458 9453 (WILD)] is an essential part of the rehabilitation! Residents and visitors to the Malibu area often go further. They send photos, provide GPS pins and even remain on site (at a safe distance of 50+ feet) until our rescue team arrives. They guide us to the animal and let other concerned individuals know that the Marine Mammal Rescue Team is on the way. These extra steps can be essential to the rescue process, as distressed California Sea Lions will strive to find shelter and can easily blend in with the rocky coastline. Even when possible to locate without additional information, the photos and enhanced stranding details allow our team to better assess and prepare while en route to the site. Once there, a more efficient rescue can mean removal from a potentially stressful environment and the ability to provide care sooner.
Sea Lion 17-1 was hiding in a cave. CWC staff might never have found it had it not been for help from the community.
Photo by Mira Sorvino
California Wildlife Center’s marine mammal program owes much of its success to the commitment of the people of Malibu for helping us to preserve this one part of what makes Malibu so special.