We have an active Facebook page that tracks the activities at the Centre. We also host public events throughout the year and fundraisers. What's Happening Our Latest News Cute and furry but deadly predators – outdoor cats. How Bear Aware Are You? > View all NIWRA news stories Facebook Facebook Facebook Youtube > Go to our Youtube channel Young Eaglet Intake Play Video Holiday Gifts That Help Wildlife | Shop at North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre Play Video Sounds of the Nighthawk #rarebirds #coolsounds #birdsounds #nighthawk #wildliferescue Play Video Watch Now Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Close

North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre is a non-profit facility that cares for ill, injured and orphaned wildlife, and educates the public about wildlife and environmental issues. Visitors can see non-releasable Vancouver Island wildlife in peaceful and rustic surroundings. Hours Open Daily 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM Admission Adult $15+tax Children 4–16 $6+tax Children 3 & under FREE Veterans and Military FREE Location 1240 Leffler Road, Errington, BC Locate Us on Google Maps Join Our Team Volunteer They Need Us. We Need You! Donate Now Stay Connected Latest on Facebook Photos on Instagram Tripadvisor reviews Watch us on Youtube Get our newsletter Adopt an Animal View Adoption Animals in Shop

EDUCATION > Animals Among Us Animals Among Us Use Our FREE Classroom Resource Today! (If you are unable to view the videos below, please visit Animals Among Us on Youtube ) This 21-minute video can be presented in its entirety or shown in 4 parts: What to do when you find a fawn (at 0:40) What to do when you find a baby bird on the ground (at 3:30) Invasive Species – Leave Bullfrogs where they are (at 7:13) What makes a good pet? (at 18:03)

~wildlife education~ Photo credit: istock.com/ CarrieCaptured They may have lovely soft fur and be cute and cuddly when they feel like it, but cats have been largely responsible for the extinction of 33 bird species over many centuries. Scientists estimate that free-roaming cats kill hundreds of millions of birds, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians each year, including endangered species. Cats are particularly deadly for birds. Even well fed, pampered cats will hunt and kill. Every year, domestic and feral cats kill between 100 million and 350 million birds in Canada, leading some bird species to decline by up to 90%. Cat attacks are one of the primary reasons birds, especially smaller species, are admitted to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (NIWRA) for treatment. A cat doesn’t have to kill the bird outright; even a small scratch from a cat can kill a bird. Bacteria found in the saliva and mouth of a cat can cause swift and fatal septicemia (infection in the bloodstream) in birds and small animals. Birds caught by cats need to be treated with specialized antibiotics by wildlife professionals, even if they don’t appear injured. If you have a cat, how can you help? Spay or neuter your cat at an early age, do not feed stray cats, never abandon a cat, and support the work of your local SPCA. Keep your pet inside or supervised and on a leash, if outdoors. Have someone handy build an outdoor Catio (a secure outdoor enclosure) fit for your feline royalty. You will be keeping birds safer, and you’ll keep your pet safer too. Outdoor cats can be exposed to many dangers, including motor vehicles, fights with other cats and wildlife, and diseases. Keeping cats from roaming freely also reduces human exposure to diseases such as toxoplasmosis. Domestic cats that hunt can contract and spread avian flu. Some cats have been infected with the H5N1 virus after coming into contact with sick birds or their contaminated environments. Avian flu can have severe health implications for domestic cats. Cat owners should be vigilant and seek immediate veterinary attention if their pets show any signs of illness, especially if they suspect exposure to sick birds. Our pet cats do have a reputation for liking things their way, but you will be doing them and birds and other small wildlife a big favour by keeping them safe indoors. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~Wildlife education~ Vancouver Island black bears eat both meat and plants, and their sense of smell and hearing is far superior to that of humans. If a hungry bear smells food waste in a barbecue or trash container or a vehicle, it will go after it. Photo credit: istock.com/eyfoto Bears are natural scavengers and have good memories, so they will return to locations where they have found food before. Bears must eat large amounts of food, so they don’t starve during the winter months and to produce offspring (cubs are born in January or February in winter dens), so they are continually looking for food. Bears may travel hundreds of kilometres daily in their search for food. Bears are strong and can bend open car doors and pry open trunks and windshields in their search for food, so don’t leave food or food waste in your vehicles in areas where bears are known to frequent. If you go hiking in bear country, make sure you are prepared. Carry bear spray and avoid wearing strong perfumes. If you are accompanied by children, keep them close to you, and always keep your pets on a leash. If you see a bear, stay calm. The bear may just be curious, not aggressive. Speak in a calm, firm voice and back away slowly. NEVER run. A black bear can run up to 48 km per hour, much faster than the average human. Don’t leave any type of food, garbage or pet food where a bear can get at it. Store them inside or in a bear-proof container. Many nuisance bear calls are due to garbage attracting them. Take your garbage away immediately and put it out at the curb just in time for your regular collection time (not the night before). Cooking grease, bones and waste parts of meat should be stored in the freezer until your garbage day. Do not put any meat or fish in a backyard compost bin. Barbecues attract bears. Clean up cooking and eating areas promptly when finished and keep your grills clean and free from grease. If you have fruit trees, pick fruit and windfall every day when ripe. Bee hives, birdseed and suet may also attract bears. Sadly, nuisance calls can lead to the death of a mother bear and orphaned bear cubs. Please be mindful of wildlife and act accordingly. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~Wildlife education~ It is estimated that between 16,400 and 23,000 wild animals are killed annually on roads in British Columbia, and, sadly, wildlife collisions are becoming more common. Photo credit: istock.com/Pascal-L-Marius Deer are the most often struck wildlife on BC roads, involved in nearly three out of every four wildlife collisions. Other animals impacted are bears, raccoons, wolves, cougars, beavers, muskrats, moose and elk. And before highway crews can pick up the carcasses, scavengers such as eagles, hawks, ravens, and turkey vultures arrive on the scene to become the next victims. What brings wildlife close to the roads? Fawns following their mothers are frequently killed. The animals may be running from predators or searching for food. Litter thrown from vehicle windows can be a big attractant. Highways interrupt natural corridors of travel for wildlife looking for food or water. Some techniques to reduce collisions are highway lighting and signs, fencing, wildlife overpasses and underpasses, repellents, noisemakers, and reflectors. Driver education is also important; 60% of motorists do not notice wildlife warning signs. Exclusion fencing has been quite effective in preventing wildlife-vehicle accidents but is not feasible in heavily populated areas. Reflective prisms mounted on posts and installed along the sides of the highways as a means of deterring animals from coming onto the road have had some success. The reflection appears to distract the animals momentarily long enough to allow the car to pass. Infrared (heat sensing) cameras to detect the presence of wildlife on or near roads also have been used. When wildlife is detected, flashing lights are triggered, which provide a “real time” warning for drivers to slow down. It’s important for drivers to watch for and obey wildlife warning signs and speed changes, slowing down when animals are on or near the road. Animals are unpredictable and may jump out in front of your car even if they see you. Deer usually travel in groups of two or three so watch out for the animals you can’t yet see. Make sure you clean and align your headlights and use the high beams to scan the road ahead. Honk your horn to scare wildlife off the road. Dispose of your garbage responsibly; don’t throw it out the window. Drivers must be alert and drive defensively and responsibly; it could mean life or death for the motorists and the wildlife. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!