It was another busy year for the animal caregivers and rescuers at MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre in 2016 with nearly 600 patients arriving from Campbell River and as far away as Port Hardy and Port McNeil.
“We took in more than 40 mammals, including fawns and seal pups,” said Warren Warttig, MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre president and biologist.
“We provided care for eagles and owls and surprisingly, we saw 25 hummingbirds this year, it was an active year for us and shows the need for our new rescue centre and care facility we are building in Merville.”
“We must leave our current location, and open the new hospital in May,” continued Warttig. “Our new MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre comes with a $1.5 million price tag and we have not yet raised all the money we require, so we are looking to the community for help.”
The new MARS site is located off Williams Beach Road just north of Merville on 11 acres and will include a wildlife hospital, flight pen for recovering raptors, accommodation for ambassador birds, visitor discovery centre and a wetland for waterfowl.
MARS, a licensed and regulated facility, has provided rescues, rehabilitation, recovery and release for injured and orphaned wildlife in central and northern Vancouver Island since 1995.
With more than 700 cases in 2015, this volunteer-powered, donor-funded organization is building a new, larger hospital and recovery centre in the Comox Valley.
