Carol Kelly and Judy Boyd, both with the Medicine River Wildlife Centre (MRWC) west of Bowden, are orphan superstars.
Every year, the MRWC, as part of its mandate, takes in orphaned deer, moose, porcupines, birds and other animals and then in most cases later releases them back into the wild.
“At any given time, we have between 60 and 70 deer and moose at the centre,” said Kelly, executive director. “There is a continual stream of animals the public brings to us, and while we are able to take orphans, we also pick up injured animals as well to nurse back to health.”
Renovations now underway at the centre are taking their toll on the capacity to care for their animals, she said.
“With our centre in the middle of reconstruction, we have repurposed our facility and once we are finished with building, it will be far more modern and visitor friendly,” she said.
Kelly spoke about the orphan animal release program, which typically takes place in the evening hours during the late spring and summer.
“Judy Boyd (hospital coordinator) and I, or myself and a student, head out after 5 p.m. with two or three animals and drive to an area we think there will be lactating females,” she said.
“We have recordings of fawns in distress, moose in distress, and even longhorn sheep that we play to attract the mothers in the area. Once we see them, we release the young one and drive away.”
She said there are times they return to the centre with no animals released, and sometimes they are able to release all of them.
“There have been studies done on animal releases around North America,” she said. “Animals released that have been ‘held' in captivity can have very low survival rates as they become accustomed to domestication.
“One study had a 100 per cent mortality rate within one month, and another had a 60 per cent rate. At MRWC, Judy tracked seven animals we released last year and three were still alive at the end of the year and she even found them this year.”
Kelly added the upgrades to the facility are coming along nicely but fundraising efforts have been a bit slower than she would like.
For information on the fundraising campaign at MRWC or to find out more about the facility and planned upgrades, go to www.medicineriverwildlifecentre.ca
