On Oct. 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) will hold its ‘Talk and Tour’ where 30 members will get a chance to get up close and personal with the institute and its furry and feathered patients.
The event will feature a recap of the institute’s activity during the spring and summer, where they’ll discuss the year’s numbers and cases, followed by a backroom tour of the institute’s facilities.
In one case, a hoary marmot was admitted to the institute after it hitched a long ride in a camper from the mountains, ending up in someone’s backyard in Airdrie. Another unfortunate critter, a possum, was accidentally transported from Ontario.
Holly Duval, executive director of the institute, said that some areas could be zoned off from the tour for animals in intensive care to decrease patient stress levels. But visitors will get a chance to meet the institute’s ‘educational ambassadors’ Gulliver, a striped skunk and Gryphon, a red-tailed hawk, which could not be released back into the wild successfully.
Duval said Alberta represents a big migratory pathway and much of the animals they receive from Cochrane are similar to others found in other parts of Central Alberta.
She said 97 per cent of their cases are human-caused or related, such as being struck by a vehicle, hitting power lines or barb wire, conflicts with pets or consuming toxic materials. Many animals are not only injured, but emaciated since they’re unable to hunt or feed successfully after being hurt.
Duval said the institute admits over 1,600 animals every year, with over 1,400 seen so far in 2015. That doesn’t include the creatures helped during the 5,000 calls their field volunteers respond to.
She said over 35 per cent of those calls came from the Cochrane area, which she attributes to the institute’s closeness to the town, 30 minutes northeast of Cochrane near Madden.
“We are an accredited vet clinic and I’m sure people know if they have pets how expensive it can be. Wildlife don’t come with a health plan; they don’t come with insurance.”
In order to attend the talk and tour, you must be a member. To apply for an annual membership, go online to aiwc.ca/support-us/memberships/ or call the institute at 403-946-2361.
