Our patients

Featured patients 2026

Trumpeter Swan

Waterbird compound

This trumpeter swan came to us around Christmas of 2025 with neurological symptoms, including circling and turning her head upside down while thrashing his wings. She has been cleared from lead poisoning and bird flu by the lab. We are suspecting head trauma to be the cause of his symptoms. Update: After developing a serious foot infection we have humanely euthanized. Post-mortem pathology at the provincial lab has not revealed any underlaying disease for the neurological symptoms she never recovered from completely.

Injured Beaver Yearling

Beaver compound

This female yearling beaver could not move one hind legs and came in emaciated. It is possible the animal was hit by a vehicle, but external wounds seem more likely to be from fights (between beavers over territory, or fighting off a predator). Rehydration and feedings are going well, some medical treatments have been started already. X-rays revealed no obvious broken bones (hips, tibia and femur are intact). Time will tell if full recovery will be possible...

Featured patients 2025

HBC Penticton mallard

Duck pen

This male mallard was struck by a vehicle downtown and came in with head-trauma. He was stabilized indoors for a few days and then moved outside into the duck pen until his concussion and eye ulcer have healed completely. He has made fast progress and was soft-released a few weeks later.

Turtle wintering room

Turtle room

We have two Western Painted Turtles that did not recover completely from their shell fractures/broken shells before the frost this fall. They will be overwintered in our heated turtle room until fit for release next year.

Trader's Cove Goose

Goose pen

This Canada Goose came to us with a a large wing abscess and several pellets imbedded in its muscles. After debridement surgery of the abscess and managed medically, this goose was successfully released on its home beach in early fall, just in time for migration.

Northern Flying Squirrel

Indoor mammal nursery

This Northern Flying Squirrel was found solo on the road, no parents or siblings in sight. Kind property owners who found it brought it to us and she is being raised for release back to her "home forest" in Lake Country soon. Her intake weight of 45g in June has increased to 114g already by August.

Solo Skunk Kit

Porcupine/Skunk pen

We have a sole survivor, formerly orphaned skunk kit in our outdoor flex pen now. His mother was kill-trapped to "eradicate" skunks on someone's property, his siblings were nowhere to be found. Not an ideal history, but better than having left it to starve, this formerly scared and then sassy patient grew up fast and was released at the end of the summer.

Myotis Bat

Bat in Hospital

This Myotis species bat was found entangled in fishing line. A kind finder has freed him and brought to us for assessment. Update: This bat was humanely euthanized as the wing injury was too severe to heal and allow for flight again. Most finger bones were missing, together with a large part of the wing membrane. ​

Killdeer chicks

Indoor bird nursery

These shorebirds were found on a construction site. They are ground nesting killdeer. Since they were displaced and their habitat was destroyed, we have raised them in our bird nursery on a diet of tiny fish, insects and shrimp. They were moved into our shorebird flight pen and released together once their flight feathers were fully grown in. Update: Both killdeer were released as soon as they were flighted in July.

Cracked turtle

Turtle pens (indoor/outdoor)

We have three western painted turtles that were hit by a cars and severely injured several parts of their shells. The first 10 days after shell-repair, they have been dry-docked indoors before recovering in our outdoor pool. Update: One was released in July. The other two were released in September.

Porcupine Mackenzie

Porcupine/Skunk pen

This young porcupine was displaced by accidentally having been transported to Kelowna from Mackenzie in a plane wreck. After a week's stay with us, she was released again in a big community effort. She flew back to her home territory in a private plane by a volunteer pilot and was released by a local Conservation Officer.

Mallard duckling 2025

Waterfowl pen

We have several truly orphaned waterfowl in care. Each of these mallard ducklings and Canada goslings have lost their parents due to road accidents. They are being raised together now in appropriate groups of conspecifics (same species). The goslings were "fostered out" to goose families. Most ducklings were released, but four are still in care as of August until they have all their flight feathers and no more injuries.

Yellow-bellied marmot

Small mammal pen

This yellow-bellied marmot trio was found displaced in separate areas within the same week. Each by human development and excavation activity. We have raised them together, they have spent 2 weeks in a pre-release pen and were released into suitable and undisturbed rocky marmot habitat.

Alligator Lizard

Reptile room

This alligator lizard was caught by a cat. It is been treated against bacterial infection (Pasteurella). After 2 weeks of antibiotics, it had gained weight, was doing well and got released into an appropriate local wild lizard habitat.

Featured patients 2024

Beaver kit indoor beaver room IWRS

Beaver indoor pen

This orphaned beaver kit was transferred to us by another BC wildlife rehabilitation centre. It is was fed beaver milk formula upon arrival and has since been weaned to join our other male kit. Together they have access to the heated indoor beaver pen and a large outdoor braver enclosure.

porcupine at IWRS

Porcupine pen

This subadult porcupine has been admitted for an infected tail injury. One of our veterinarians has performed surgery on her tail. Update: She has been transferred to a CAZA accredited BC wildlife facility for permanent human care.

Baby Nelson

Beaver outdoor pen

Our older orphaned beaver kit was brought to us by another BC wildlife rehabilitation centre. It is on a herbivorous diet of browse and aquatic plants and has been slowly introduced to our younger female kit. They will grow up together, keeping each other company and mentally healthy.

Big brown bat at IWRS

Bat room

This big brown bat was found grounded and unable to fly at night. We are treating it for a wrist injury whilst housing for restricted movement in a soft sided bat-enclosure. Update: This bat was humanely euthanized as the injury was too severe to allow for flight.

Nathalie the goose

Waterbird compound

This Canada Goose came to us with a closed leg fracture (broken leg) and a neck abscess. Recovering from its injuries and managed medically, this goose was successfully released in early fall, just in time for migration.

GBGS_IWRS

Reptile room

This great basin gopher snake was found awake in the middle of winter inside a house. We have provided a quiet, temperature controlled space to overwinter and we released it in the spring of 2024.

Western Painted Turtle outdoor housing

Turtle outdoor housing

This female western painted turtle was hit by a car and severely injured several parts of its shell, bridge and one front leg has soft tissue damage. She was released at the end of summer in the same pond where she originated from.

Murtle The Turtle

Turtle indoor housing

A gravid (pregnant) western painted turtle came to us with shell and face injuries. She has layed her eggs in care and has been released after her injuries healed a few months later. She was named "Myrtle The Turtle".

Donnatello Turtle

Turtle incubator

This tiny western painted turtle has hatched from "Myrtle The Turtle's" eggs in our incubator after 59 days. Named "Donnatello", it will overwinter with us prior to release until strong and mature enough for release.

Mallard Duck fish hook injury

Duck therapy pool

This mallard duck swallowed a fish hook and came for post-operative care to us from Vernon. Her incision healed incredibly fast and she was released 10 days later and wasted no time in swimming off.

goslings growing up at IWRS

Gosling conditioning pool

A group of formerly displaced goslings who's parents had died, is growing up together and has moved into our large conditioning pool for geese end of May. They were released at the end of summer.

merganser chicks

Waterfowl brooder box

This group of merganser ducklings arrived in June. They started under a supplemental heat lamp and on a strictly insectivore and piscivore diet. Released once their flight feathers grew, they've stayed with us for 94 days.

Featured patients 2023

Teenage Skunks

Small mammal outdoor pen

These orphaned skunks arrived in June. They were raised at IWRS and released in September 2023

goslings in pool

Gosling starter pool

These orphaned goslings arrived in May were raised over the summer at IWRS and subsequently released in August 2023

Beaver

Semi-aquatic mammal pen

This beaver patient was released in July 2023

Douglas Squirrel

Incubator

This orphaned pine squirrel from our incubator graduated to an outdoor pen and was released in October 2023

duckling pool

Duckling starter pool

These orphaned ducklings arrived in May & June. They were raised over the summer at IWRS and released again in August 2023

Silver-haired bat

Indoor isolation room

This silver-haired bat was treated for a wing fracture in the summer and released in September 2023

how to help us help wildlife

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killdeer

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WE ARE HUMBLED AND GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE CO-EXISTENCE WITH WILDLIFE ON
UNCEDED SYILX OKANAGAN NATION TERRITORY