Rehabilitation centre for wildlife nears completion

The National Wildlife Centre in Caledon has been helping sick and injured wildlife for 10 years and will soon offer its first permanent wildlife field hospital.

The organization has been helping wildlife patients locally, across the province and country, since its inception in 2014 through a mobile hospital.

Phase one of construction began late last fall and is now almost complete. The facility is divided into two halves and has roughly 20 rooms, including multiple isolation rooms.

The National Wildlife Centre in Caledon Ont., has been helping sick and injured wildlife for 10 years and will soon offer its first permanent wildlife field hospital. (National Wildlife Centre)

"So, one half is the more hospital-type rooms that you would imagine: an exam room, a treatment room, a surgery room, an intensive care unit, pharmacy, and a lab," said Veterinarian Dr. Sherri Cox, the founder of the National Wildlife Centre.

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"So, that's the hospital half; the other half is for holding animals while they recuperate. We will have a water room for turtles or nursery rooms for baby birds or squirrels."

The National Wildlife Centre in Caledon Ont., has been helping sick and injured wildlife for 10 years and will soon offer its first permanent wildlife field hospital. (National Wildlife Centre)

Phase two, a much bigger hospital, will be completed in five to 10 years, depending on funding.

"It's about 28,000 square feet, so about ten times the size. It will have a large education centre where the public can come in. There will be some interactive displays and some different webcams where the public will be able to see more of the facility and what we do. It will also have labs, of course, two surgical suites, radiology, and so many more rooms to actually help the animals," said Dr. Cox.

The National Wildlife Centre in Caledon Ont., has been helping sick and injured wildlife for 10 years and will soon offer its first permanent wildlife field hospital. (National Wildlife Centre)

The centre also helps other rehabilitation facilities with surgeries and overall care.

Officials with the National Wildlife Centre said volunteers and donations are crucial for their work to continue.