Calgary Wildlife kicks off a month of baby showers
By Acacia Carol, Layout Editor
Back every Wednesday for all of June, Calgary Wildlife is hosting livestreams for their baby shower event. The livestreamed baby showers offer a rare opportunity to see wild babies of all shapes and sizes in ways that would not be possible in the wild.
The livestreams also provide an opportunity to learn more about the care required to rehabilitate and support the babies growth before their release.
Each spring and summer, Calgary Wildlife says they see a dramatic seasonal surge in patients, with admissions increasing by roughly 800 per cent during the busy months. On the busiest days, the wildlife hospital can admit dozens of animals in need of urgent care, which includes injured and orphaned animals.
“Summer is always our busiest and most demanding time of year,” says Beki Hunt, executive director at Calgary Wildlife. “Wild babies arrive needing specialized diets and medications to warm, quiet spaces to grow and heal, and hands-on professional care from our team.”
And that hands on care goes far during the busiest times of year. Last June, Calgary Wildlife responded to 2,956 wildlife hotline calls. June 11 was the busiest day for patient admissions, with 36 patients admitted to receive treatment in a single day.
To help meet this growing demand, Calgary Wildlife is aiming to raise $45,000 through this year’s Baby Shower campaign. Funds raised help cover approximately four months of patient food, medications, and essential wildlife care supplies. Hunt says that the baby shower event gives the community a chance to directly support the critical care that Calgary Wildlife provides when the need is highest.
“These animals come to us at their most vulnerable,” adds Hunt. “By supporting the baby shower, you are helping give injured and orphaned wildlife the care they need and the best possible chance to return to the wild.”
