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AIWC’s hotline program helps keep animals safe

An education campaign by the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) resulted in fewer animals coming through its doors in 2018, according to Executive Director Holly Duvall.
Little beaver
AIWC took in approximately 1,200 orphaned or injured animals in 2018, with the aim of nursing them back to health, then releasing them back to the wild, if appropriate.

An education campaign by the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) resulted in fewer animals coming through its doors in 2018, according to Executive Director Holly Duvall. Approximately 1,200 injured and orphaned animals were brought to the centre in 2018. “This year, one of our focuses was to put more resources into preventing healthy, uninjured wildlife from needlessly coming into our care,” she said. “We invested more into our wildlife hotline program, so we could better aid the public with their wildlife concerns and questions.” AIWC accepts new patients every day of the year. The hotline is having a direct impact on the number of animals being brought to the centre, according to Duvall. In 2017, 1,400 animals were admitted to the centre, 200 more than 2018, and 1,900 were accepted in 2016 – that’s 700 fewer animals in 2018. More than 5,000 calls were made to the wildlife hotline in 2018, approximately the same number as in 2017. The most frequently-asked questions were regarding animals that were injured, Duvall said, or suspected of being orphaned. “By investing in our wildlife hotline, we’re able to better and faster assist the public. It’s obviously a very stressful situation, when they do come across an animal they think is in need,” she said. “What we’re trying to do is invest more in preventing wildlife from coming into our care, so we have more resources for the wildlife that do need our help.” More calls are made to the hotline in the spring and summer, she added, when people find baby animals they believe to have been orphaned. “Baby hares are often thought to have been orphaned but, the majority of the time, they’re perfectly safe and healthy,” Duvall said. “They are left alone by their mothers.” The majority of the animals AIWC cares for each year – 75 per cent – are birds, she said. “With birds, when they can’t fly, they’re grounded,” Duvall said. “I think people come across them much more easily [than mammals] and people are much more comfortable picking up birds.” The other wildlife the centre sees are small mammals, including hares, deer fawns, fox kits, skunks and bats. Looking forward to 2019, Duvall said, the organization aims to strengthen its efforts. She and her team are planning to hold two volunteer-recruitment drives in the coming year – the first in January 2019 – with the hope of adding to the 125 people already volunteering with AIWC. “It’s a really rewarding position. We have lots of different areas [in which] people can help,” she said. “Some of the positions, you can even do at home. We have lots of opportunities for individuals.” In the fall, Duvall said, AIWC is planning to launch its mobile unit – a wildlife ambulance that can be sent to emergency situations. “We’re doing a lot of new things, but really, we just want to strengthen the organization. We’re really proud of our success rate. We have a 52 per cent success rate, whereas the national average is 32 per cent,” she said. “We want to keep building on that and continue to raise the standard of care for our patients.” The AIWC wildlife hotline number is 403-946-2361. More information regarding AIWC can be found on its website – aiwc.ca

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