On the 7th of July, we received a call about an orphaned Bobcat that had been found on the side of the road in Grand Forks, an over 6-hour drive from our center!

Thankfully a wonderful volunteer was able to bring him a little closer to us. We met the volunteer in Osoyoos.

Not long after receiving this call, two of our staff members loaded up the truck with supplies and hit the road! It was a long four-hour drive but if they didn't act fast the chances of the bobcat surviving grew slim. Upon arrival in Osoyoos, the staff members were greeted by two wonderful women, the mayor of Osoyoos and the mayor of Rossland. Our staff immediately gave the Bobcat some much-needed fluids as he was in critical condition. His energy levels were irregular as he was clearly fighting to stay alive. He was only 600 grams!

In the summer of 2021, Critter Care received a call regarding two abandoned black bear cubs. The mother of these two cubs was hit by a train, and a railway worker spoke to the Conservation services who instructed him to catch the tiny cubs and take them to Critter Care where they could receive the care they needed.  The gentleman who captured the two now orphaned cubs gave them the adorable names Scout and Yale.  After about a week of isolation, Scout and Yale were able to join our only other bear cub at the time, Rampage.

Rampage was alone for a while, and Critter Care staff were happy to have more cubs for him to bond with, despite the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Scout and Yale’s mother. Both are male black bears, as is Rampage. Yale is a smaller bear with a stoic expression and quiet disposition. Scout is bigger, more outgoing, and sports a characteristic floppy left ear. The integration of the three bears was a slow process at first, as it can take bears some time to warm up to each other. They are now, however, as thick as thieves. 

Yale and Scout have outgrown Rampage who at the start was the larger of the three. They love splashing around in their pool, destroying pumpkins and cantaloupes, and cuddling in their den box on cold days. They will be released next year in June and live on in the wild.

Pumpkin the beaver came in on 25th September 2021 after he was seized by animal control from a person’s house. The woman had him living with her in her bed! 

Upon arrival, it was clear that he was underweight and very lethargic. After examination, it was discovered that he had a blockage of his anus caused by being fed the incorrect food. The blockage extended up his GI tract which was full of waste matter. 

Staff immediately put the beaver under sedation and began the daunting aspect of removing the feces. 1.5 hours later staff had managed to remove most of the blockage and gave him fluid and anti-inflammatory Meds. The next day Pumpkin had started to eat more regularly and went to the bathroom on his own! 

We currently have 5 beavers here at Critter Care and he will be introduced once he has gained weight.

They were placed under around-the-clock care by one of our wildlife technicians. She started treatment by removing the maggots from the weaker of the two. After three hours of picking and tweezing, the maggots had been successfully removed. The little baby was so exhausted he did not have the energy to eat on his own, so he was syringe fed every hour and given subcutaneous fluids to rehydrate him. It seemed as if he might not make it through the night. His brother clung to him, comforted, and protected him throughout recovery. When the baby was checked on early in the morning, he was much more alert. He was drinking from the bottle on his own and was slowly gaining his strength back. The next day, another baby raccoon arrived at Critter Care with the same health issues and she was put with the two boys. Now, the stronger and healthier boy protected and comforted them both.

Over the next week, they were closely monitored. They became very bonded to each other and as their health improved started playing and becoming very curious. They tripled their weight within two weeks and their bellies got so big that one started to look like a pear. That is how they got their names: Pear, Squash and Auby (short for aubergine). They eventually had more orphaned baby raccoons join them and were put in an outdoor enclosure where they would play and climb for hours.  They grew so quickly and got so healthy that at the end of September they were all released to a beautiful, forested area to live out the remainder of their lives in the wild.

On June 6th, 2021, a member of the public found a baby Columbian ground squirrel that had been lying outside of its burrow with no mum or siblings in sight. She had tried to reunite him with his family, but no one came back for him. A storm was coming through that evening, so she gave up looking and brought him inside to warm up.  She immediately called Critter Care to see if we would be able to help her. The only problem was that she was in Trail, BC, which is a seven-hour drive away. With no transport volunteers in the area or anyone able to travel that distance, one of our wildlife technicians set out on a journey to pick up the baby.

She drove straight to Trail that evening and arrived at 1 am. The squirrel was very dehydrated and lethargic but thanks to the care of the finder he was warm and alert. 

He was so tiny, weighing only 46 grams! Our wildlife technician gave him subcutaneous fluids and syringe fed him before taking him to her vehicle, where they would end up sleeping for the night before starting their journey home. Throughout the night she would wake him every three hours and feed him in her car. He would then be placed back in his incubator where he was kept warm with blankets and a warming device. 

After the long trip home from Trail, our technician and the ground squirrel arrived safely at Critter Care. He was given a full examination and treated for dehydration but was otherwise healthy.

Cared for by two of our best interns, they set up a special terrarium filled with dirt, grass, and other vegetation to mimic his natural habitat. The dirt allowed him to burrow and make different tunnels, where he would store his food and sleep. He was named Sunny by his intern parents because he was like a ray of sunshine and brought light to everyone’s day. Sunny grew very quickly and was ready to be released in July.

Beaver Scout, 8-year-old Carter, wanted to help the critters so he organized a neighborhood bottle drive and asked for donations to sponsor his 5km run that he completed on June 5, 2021. As well as raising a large sum of money for the animals he also earned his community service badge. 

Way to go Carter!

On August 29th a Sanctuary Cycle ride of 8 – 10 cyclists along with support personnel in vehicles started at 8:00 am from The Happy Herd location. This ride was planned and organized by Karry Eilers in support of The Happy Herd, Critter Care Wildlife Society, and SAINTS.

This ride took them to Aldergrove Park, then onto Critter Care Wildlife Society where Maureen spoke to them on the work we do and the needs we have. From there they rode back to The Happy Herd where they had lunch and then because of the distance and hills in the Mission area where SAINTS is located the group drove to SAINTS and met the folks of that organization.

This Sanctuary Cycle proved to be a huge success for all three charities and speaking for Critter Care Wildlife Society, and on behalf of those who can’t speak for themselves, we are so very grateful to all the riders and support people. Bear hugs and kisses to you all.

The funds raised were divided among many various charities with Critter Care Wildlife Society being chosen by Dan MacEachern’s franchise staff.

We’re asking everyone to be on the lookout for 2022 Valentine’s Day and head out to your local Boston Pizza and get your heart-shaped pizza.