The All Life Foundation has approved a grant of $195,643 for Ohio Wildlife Center to construct a facility at the Cook Road Education Center dedicated to the care of infant and orphaned wildlife.
“This will be a structure designed for wildlife nursery care and extended rehabilitation for multiple species within the Pre-Release Facility complex ,” said Dusty Lombardi, executive director of Ohio Wildlife Center. “It will extend our capacity to house and manage this increasing population,” she said.
With recent intake trends of the Wildlife Hospital showing nearly 50 percent of patient admissions are clinically healthy animals that are orphaned or abandoned, more space is needed to manage these and the increasing numbers of ill and injured animals brought to the hospital, she noted. “This is an important need to address to optimize outcomes and relieve hospital overcrowding,” she said.
In 2017, 5,286 animals were treated at the hospital, nearly 500 more than 2016. Lombardi said that the new clinic will provide space specifically for infants, species specific caging and exercise space during transitional care for raptors and waterfowl. The facility will also have housing for animals that need to overwinter or stay for extended periods, such as bats.
All animals brought to the Wildlife Hospital will continue to be assessed and treatment protocols assigned at Billingsley Road, with clinically healthy animals transitioned to the new facility after an initial observation period. This will provide for better step-down care and housing for carnivores, raptors and bats. The clinic will also have new space flexibility to treat and manage specialized species, such as Neotropical migratory birds.
“The longer boarding and care times for these higher numbers of infant and orphaned birds, mammals, and raptors have challenged our resources, space, staff and volunteer time,” Lombardi said. “We truly appreciate this partnership with the All Life Foundation to meet these emerging needs and manage these ever growing challenges.”