Animal Ambassadors

Great Horned Owl

Dakota was found as an owlet in 2000 and was kept illegally by people in northern Wisconsin. When he became sick due to poor nutrition and care he was taken to a wildlife rehabilitator. They determined that he was imprinted on humans. Imprinting means a bird has formed an inaccurate self image — in Dakota’s case, a human self-image — and will fail to act in a species-appropriate way. Dakota, if released, would seek out humans for food and breeding purposes — so he is not releasable to the wild.

Barred Owl

Sova, which means owl in Czech, was transferred to the Wildlife In Need Center in October of 2012 from another Wisconsin rehabilitation facility. She was a victim of a car collision and received head trauma and a detached retina in her left eye. A painful cataract formed on the eye and it had to be eviscerated. These injuries left her an unviable candidate for release but her disposition is great for education.

Red-tailed Hawk

Raenah was brought to the Wildlife in Need Center in 2008 with a fractured humerus in her left wing. She underwent surgery and therapy to try and regain some wing strength. Unfortunately she never regained full motion in her wing and was un-releasable and is now a part of the education team.

Eastern Screech Owl

Chloe was transferred to the Wildlife In Need Center in October of 2012 from another Wisconsin rehabilitation facility to be evaluated as an educational raptor. She had been found sitting along by the road after a car collision. She has a partial wing amputation at the wrist along with retinal detachments in both eyes. Due to her severe injuries she can not be released back into the wild.

Muscovy Duck

Daphne was brought to the center Fall 2007 after she was found in the wild. Daphne helps us teach people about the difference between domestic and wild animals and our responsibility to care for each one differently.

Groundhog

Gregory was brought in as an orphan in summer 2010 with an eye injury. Glaucoma developed in the eye which then lead to removal to prevent further issues. Because woodchucks are a small prey species they need perfect vision to survive in the wild.

Striped Skunk

Chase is a captive bred striped skunk that was born in May 2016. Wild striped skunks have a risk of carrying rabies and therefore cannot be rehabilitated in Wisconsin. Chase has been raised and cared for by our staff and will live permanently at the Wildlife in Need Center. As a frequently misunderstood species, he is an important addition to our education team.

Virginia Opossum

Marcy was brought to WINC as a patient in the Summer of 2019 after being found on the side of the road with head trauma and damage to her right eye. The permanent damage in her right eye left her blind and non-releasable. Her young age and great disposition will help to make her an important educational ambassador for her species.

Bullsnake

Meadow is a captive bred snake hatched in early 2013. She was donated to be used for education and joined our educational staff in the fall of 2013.

Eastern Fox Snake

Evie is a captive bred snake hatched in August of 2013. She had two years of dedicated foster care before being donated to WINC to join our education team in the fall of 2015.

Ornate Box Turtle

Jewel was found in a pet store in Milwaukee County. She was confiscated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in 2005 and offered to the Wildlife In Need Center as an education animal.

Western Painted Turtle

Antoinette was brought to the Wildlife In Need Center in fall of 2010 after a homeowner found her in their yard. They observed that she had severe blunt force trauma to all four limbs which resulted in her missing toes and partial amputations making her unreleasable. When she arrived we noticed that her carapace formed upward near the back which is an indication she could have been held in captivity.

American Toad

Bella was brought to the Wildlife in Need Center in June of 2015 as a patient after being hit by a lawn mower and suffering a partial front leg amputation. Toads use their front limbs to hold onto their prey and to aid in mobility and balance. She was not releasable due to her injury and therefore, she has joined our education team. Bella’s name means ‘beautiful’ in Italian.