When Mona Holley, a volunteer trainer at BC SPCA Wild ARC, started training other volunteers, she didn鈥檛 expect to enjoy it as much as she does.
During a four-hour coaching exercise with new volunteers, Holley said she tends to go on tangents and tell too many stories about her experiences at Wild ARC.
鈥淚 have to watch that, but I鈥檝e really enjoyed it,鈥� Holley said.
Wild ARC cares for birds, small mammals, and the occasional baby seal, but it has a permit to care for only certain animals. Marine mammals are under the federal system while squirrels and most birds are under the provincial one.
Over a years time, about 3,000 animals will come into the centre, and not all of them will be released back into the wild.
鈥淲e expect about 30 to 40 per cent of that 3,000 to be released,鈥� Holley said.
The others are either euthanized on arrival or die at Wild ARC.
鈥淎ll of those decisions are under very careful consideration by the staff.鈥�
Most animals brought into Wild ARC are there because they have been in contact with humans through car crashes or cat attacks.
Animals that survive will be released close to where they were found, which makes it easier for the survivors to be in the area they are familiar with, Holley said.
鈥淲e try to find a suitable area within a one-kilometre range of where they were found.鈥�
The animal鈥檚 release will also depend on the permit from either the federal or provincial government states.
Holley said that about 200 volunteers are needed at Wild ARC and that there are many different areas where people can help.
There is the animal care team, where you feed and look after animals but also help to do everything including the kitchen prep team who cooks and prepares the food for the animals and the spit and polish team, which is in charge of laundry and cleaning the pens.
Wild ARC volunteers can choose from three shifts: 8 a.m.-12 p.m., 12 p.m.-4 p.m., and 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Five volunteers are needed per shift to help care for the animals.
Anyone over 19 years old can volunteer, and comprehensive training is offered to anyone who wants to help at Wild ARC.
According to Holley, the shifts will be focused on feeding and cleaning the enclosures where the animals are kept, but human contact will be kept to a minimum.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want them to habituate to humans. So the more we鈥檙e in their enclosures, the more they get used to us.鈥�
According to Holley, Wild ARC will attract volunteers from around Vancouver Island and worldwide. Some will come from Europe, and others from Campbell River to Cordova Bay.
Wild ARC is a live hospital and is more about saving the lives of these animals rather than just being able to give a cute critter a lot of hugs, said Holley.
鈥淥ur role here is not to cuddle them, talk to them, or treat them like pets. We want to keep them wild.鈥�
Helping these animals still brings a lot of joy, and there is still the opportunity to get up close and personal with a baby squirrel or bald eagle, said Holley.
鈥淵ou are still formula-feeding squirrels, and there is still contact with animals.鈥�
Holley said she has always been interested in helping animals, has worked with BC Parks for most of her career and has a degree in zoology. Now, she gets to a part of caring for these animals and helping them recover.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e a part of feeding them, looking after them and caring for them.鈥�
The new volunteers will be recruited by June and Holley will have to train the latest recruits to care for the animals correctly.
鈥淏ecause then we鈥檙e just not going to have time to train people. We鈥檙e going to be busy ourselves looking after the animals,鈥� Holley said.
READ MORE: