What do you think when you drive by a wild animal dead by the side of the road? Perhaps, like most people, you think to yourself how sad it is and continue driving. You may think for a brief moment how silly it was for that animal to be in the road in the first place and that it would be alive if it had just been more careful.
The truth is that no matter how careful they are, these creatures have to share this world with us and that can be difficult. Wildlife have no understanding, and unlike domesticated animals, they have much less activism on their behalf.
Luckily, in Virginia there is a place with a history of caring and high hopes for a future that will allow them to educate more people and help more animals. The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center sits along the Shenandoah River in Clarke County. Surrounded by plenty of land and a beautiful view, this modest facility is doing great work in the name of all wildlife.
Dr Burwell, a veterinarian by trade, opened the center in 2004 after realizing the lack of resources in Northern Virginia to care for injured wildlife. She, along with her volunteers, small staff and others now take in everything from animals with wings to animals that slither. Much of the time these animals end up at the facility as a direct result of a run-in with a human. Turtles run over, birds hit by cars, litters of foxes without mothers. The list goes on.
When asked about the challenges of running a center such as hers, she says: "The biggest challenge is finding the funding to build and run the center. We need funds to purchase the unusual foods these wild animals need to eat, and to build the unique cages necessary to care for a variety of unusual wild species. Even more challenging is finding the funding to hire trained and committed employees to care for these wild, and sometimes dangerous, animals. There are many foundations and even state and local organizations that fund and care for stray domestic animals, but no funds to help care for all the injured, orphaned, sick and displaced wildlife. That is why there are so few wildlife rescue centers. Private wildlife rescue centers are usually started by a wealthy individual who can fund them, but we did not have that luxury. We took a chance and opened with the hope that members of the community would donate the needed funds to keep going, and they have. But we have always been underfunded and have needed to cut corners everywhere we could. Now we are trying to care for 1,500 animals a year in an 800 square foot building which is much too small. We need to expand our facility to continue to care for the ever-increasing number of wild animals in this area needing help."
To be continued...
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