North Island Animal Rescue Centre, Errington, BC Canada

Casey the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) 
Casey, who has a non-repairable dislocated wing, is a permanent resident and Animal Ambassador at the North Island Animal Rescue Centre on Vancouver Island, BC Canada.

Entry Displays
Entry into the centre is through a light and airy hallway, built in local timbers and featuring taxidermied examples of some of the local wildlife.

Display Case
Birds – especially owls and other raptors – are the most common residents at the centre. They are elusive in the wild, and aside from the very distinctive bald eagles, I seldom know what raptor I’m seeing as they circle high overhead.

Sea Wolf – Canis Lupus Crassodon
Vancouver Coastal or Vancouver Island sea wolves are endemic to this region. A unique subspecies of wolf, they are semi-aquatic and live on a diet that is almost completely marine-based. They play an important role in the myths and spiritual beliefs of the local Indigenous peoples, and are often represented in their art forms.

Enclosure
I loved the leafy environment, and the aesthetic of the enclosures.

Great Gray Owl – Strix Nebulosa
Farley here is from Mainland BC where he was hit by a car, causing irreparable wing damage. Great gray owls are the largest owls in mainland BC, and not found in the wild on Vancouver Island.

Common or Northern Raven – Corvus Corax
Shooting pictures through enclosure wiring presents its own set of challenges. Raised in captivity, this bird never learned how to find food on its own.

Peregrine Falcon – Falco Peregrinus
Patrick is a captive-bred falcon who came to the Centre because he suffers seizures that make him ineffective as a falconry bird.

Snowy Owl – Bubo Scandiaca
Elsa the snowy owl was found on the ground, weak from starvation and unable to fly. It’s unlikely that she will ever be well enough to survive in the wild.

Great Horned Owls – Bubo Virginianus
Boo and Spook are like many of the owls who come to the centre with eye and/or wing injuries, or because they were raised in captivity and can’t adapt to the wild.

Secret Garden

A Quiet Corner
The whole property feels calm and invites reflection.

Raven – Corvus Corax
Blizzard is a common raven with leucism, a condition similar to albinism that occurs about 1 in 30,000 births. This partial lack of pigmentation makes the birds more visible to predators and more susceptible to harmful UV radiation from the sun. While they feature in Greek mythology and local Indigenous origin stories, they are sometimes rejected socially by other birds.

Bald Eagle – Haliaeetus Leucocephalus
These beautiful birds are found across most of North America, mainly near large bodies of water. Their numbers are increasing since the banning of DDT in 1972. The Centre cares for a huge number of eagles, who arrive with a range of ailments, including electric shock, gunshot wounds, broken bones, and/or lead poisoning. In 1991 the Centre built an Eagle Flight Enclosure – the largest of its kind in Canada – where recovering birds can build strength before their release. The Annual Eagle Release takes place in spring when the birds have the best chance of success because the herring are running, providing plenty of food.

Eastern Gray Squirrel – Sciurus Carolinensis
Even though they are introduced and considered invasive, these squirrels are cute.

Nature’s Sculpture

Picnic Table

Common Wall Lizard – Podarcis Muralis
I love how animal sanctuaries attract wild birds and critters.

Spring Flowers

Western Painted Turtle – Chrysemys Picta
These turtles are endangered on Vancouver Island. They are challenged for limited resources by released non-native pet-store turtles like the popular red-eared sliders.

Ravensong
This 40 foot Tlingit/Tsimshian-style war canoe, carved and painted in 1993 by Tsimshian-Norwegian artist William “Bill” Helin, had pride of place at the 2010 Olympic Pan Pacific Hotel Exhibition.

Bill Helin
In addition to writing and illustrating children’s story books and creating art and jewelry, Bill is part-time Artist in Residence at the Centre, carving and painting on site, and leading traditional cultural drumming and canoe workshops.

Metal Rooster
Every corner brings a new surprise: like this quirky farmyard decor.

American Barn Owls – Tyto Furcata
Brothers Jelly and Bean were bred in captivity – and are therefore unable to hunt. They came to the Centre in 2009.

American Black Bear – Ursus Americanus
It’s a sign of the Centre’s success that all the rescued bears – except this one – had been released back to the wild. Rae, who doesn’t much like the limelight, was found on Vancouver Island alongside the highway. She was underweight and unsteady – and still suffers epilepsy, likely from head trauma.