This time of year, November through February, is referred to as our slow season, simply because we receive significantly fewer patients daily than we do during the summer months. This slow season, however, has been anything but, as we have admitted an unusually large number of birds of prey in addition to our usual caseload.
In February of 2025, the Marine Mammal Department looked very different than it does today. We were just returning to our hospital after evacuating during the Palisades Fire and had no patients in care.
Mourning Doves forage on the ground for small grains and seeds, much like grazing mammals such as deer and antelope. While such a pastoral life may seem peaceful, it attracts hungry predators.
If you give a squirrel a cookie…Each day we receive a variety of calls and we never know where they might lead. While many make us smile or laugh, some are emotional. These calls remind us that behind every rescue is a person who stopped what they were doing to help an animal in need. That gives us hope.
2025 will go down in the record books as a year of many challenges. Yet, with challenges come growth and shining moments of success! Things started off slower than in 2024, but that quickly changed. By the second week of January, devastating wildfires forced us to evacuate. Response operations shifted to a remote staging location.
On August 22, 2025, an adult female Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) was brought to the center by a good Samaritan after being found grounded and unable to fly in Los Angeles.
Today, we have the technology to illuminate the night with brilliant electric lights. While modern day lighting is helpful, it can become extremely dangerous ‘light pollution’ for the night-active animals that share the world around us.
Each year, during the months of March-May, our Marine Mammal Rescue team at CWC receives a high volume of calls regarding stranded Northern Elephant Seal pups on the beaches in Malibu. Each pup that comes in for rehabilitation receives a second chance at life, which was the case for patient #25-097.
It is with deep gratitude and great excitement that I introduce myself as the new Executive Director of California Wildlife Center. Stepping into this role is both a profound honor and a heartfelt responsibility – one I do not take lightly.
California Wildlife Center’s ability to help 4,000 patients annually is largely due to the stellar team of volunteers and interns that donate their time and hard work to assist our animal care staff. Every year, CWC hosts 25 interns who are admitted into one of three internship tracks – Marine Mammal Rescue and Rehabilitation, Wildlife Rehabilitation, and Wildlife Hotline and Outreach.
P.O. Box 2022
Malibu, CA 90265
Hotline Phone: +1 310 458-WILD (9453)
E-mail: admin@cawildlife.org
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