Calgary Wildlife rehab centre holds ‘baby shower’ for young birds and mammals

There’s a new appeal for help from some kind-hearted Calgarians caring for injured and orphaned wildlife.

Calgary Wildlife, which operates a rehabilitation facility for birds and mammals, is asking people to lend a hand with its spring “baby shower.”

“We need formula, we need blankets,” Calgary Wildlife’s Melanie Whalen said. “So we kind of fashioned it after a baby shower.”

Spring is a busy time of year at the facility, as staff care for all kinds of young wildlife, orphaned for many different reasons.

“Sometimes it’s a vehicle strike, sometimes it’s nest destruction, sometimes it’s coyotes or bobcats,” Calgary Wildlife’s Kyla Rae said. “It’s overwhelming.”

The ‘baby shower’ appeal continues through until the end of June, with Calgary Wildlife accepting donations through its website.

“We need incubators to raise a lot of baby birds and baby mammals,” Whalen said. “We don’t get any government funding, all of our funding comes from the generosity of the public, so we can continue to do this work.”

That work requires long hours from Calgary Wildlife staff and volunteers, but they say it’s all well worth it.

“It’s very rewarding to be able to take these animals that come in, injured or orphaned, and treat them for that,” Whalen said. “And then get them back out to where they belong.”