 2020 has been a year none of us will forget. Here at Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC), we cared for a record 2,040 animals, which is an increase of 30% over last year. This year’s patients include bear cubs, moose calves, deer fawns, owls, songbirds, and other representatives of Alberta’s wildlife.
Two of those patients are fondly referred to as “the twins”. Too young to survive on their own, these moose twins were brought to AIWC in May 2020 after their mother was hit and killed by a car. In the spring of 2021, when old enough to fend for themselves, we will release them back to the wild. With your generous support, we can continue to rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned and injured wildlife, like these twins and so many others, to their natural habitat.
95% of the animals admitted to AIWC are here as a result of conflict with humans in some way, such as window strikes, vehicular collisions, and domestic cat and dog attacks. With urban expansion, the demand for our animal care service continues to rise. Moreover, our Wildlife Hotline, which is a service that addresses the public’s wildlife questions, received 1,000 more calls than in 2019, for a total of 6,200 calls.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our Wildlife Education team has pivoted to provide more wildlife education online. Part of our mission is to encourage a strong co-existence between Albertans and wildlife, through whatever means we can, but it has required additional resources.
As the demand for our services increase, so does the need for funding to ensure we can continue to operate. This Christmas season, please consider including AIWC as part of your Christmas giving. Your gift will help ensure that injured or orphaned wildlife have a place to go today when in need, and also in the future.
Thank you for your support of Alberta’s wildlife – as human and wildlife encounters rise, they need you now more than ever. |
