Donation Bolsters Wildlife Care and Education Program
Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre Recieves Surprise Investment
Beneath the thin dusting of snow that topped Manitoba’s prairie lands this autumn, a small nest of common snapping turtles — laid too late in the season — struggled against the cold. Luckily, a local Winnipeg biologist has happened upon their nest and is planning to take them to the Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre, where they will receive the care they need to survive the winter.
For the past five years, Wildlife Haven has been operating out of an unused dairy barn in Ile-des-Chênes, Man., but thanks to TransCanada, they are on their way to constructing a brand new facility — one that better meets their patients’ needs!
A volunteer-driven, non-profit organization, Wildlife Haven takes in over 1,700 injured or orphaned animals from northwestern Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan every year. Once the animals receive the care they need, they must prove they’re capable of walking, flying or foraging and hunting for food before the Centre will consider releasing them back into the wild.
“In addition to rehabilitation, the Wildlife Haven has also partnered with TransCanada to deliver education programs to school kids,” says Mike Liao, TransCanada regional director for Central Region. “They use animal ambassadors (those who could not be released back into the wild) to educate the public on how to properly handle wildlife.”
Earlier this year, TransCanada entered into a 50-year community land-lease partnership with Wildlife Haven, providing access to 18 acres of land north of TransCanada’s Station 41 in Ile-des-Chenes, Man., giving them the space to build the new facility, which will include long flyways to rehabilitate birds of prey, such as bald eagles.
