Marin County's WildCare animal rescue relocates during renovation
Wildcare began as a nature education center in the 1950s and treats up to 4,000 injured or orphaned animals every year.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KGO) -- In the North Bay, a big move is underway this week for a longtime wildlife hospital and nature educate center. WildCare is moving to a temporary home while their original location in San Rafael undergoes a major renovation.
Moving can be a very slow process, just ask Mohave the tortoise, one of the ambassador animals at Wildcare in San Rafael now heading for a new temporary home.
"We're in the process of moving, we are taking 70 years of stuff out of the facility where we've been all those years," said Alison Hermance, marketing and communication director of WildCare.
There's a lot of stuff to organize, clean and move out from this facility in downtown San Rafael, it's nothing short of daunting.
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"Basically our hospital is in these boxes, surgical supplies, lab supplies," said Veterinarian, Juliana Sorem.
Wildcare began as a nature education center in the 1950s and became a wildlife hospital in 1974, treating 3,000 to 4,000 injured or orphaned animals every year.
The nonprofit's home is undergoing a two year, $24 million renovation, with money raised thru private donations.
"It's time for us to have a facility which matches the work we do day to day, here at the hospital and nature education center," Ellyn Weisel, WildCare's executive director.
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Lots of animals are carefully being transported to their transitional home, but some are still too small to make the trip, like a 5-week-old hungry baby raccoon and baby squirrel.
There's a lot happening at WildCare's transitional Location in San Rafael, we can't give the address yet until they are ready to accept new wildlife patients on September 30.
Until then, other Bay Area wildlife facilities are stepping up to help during the big move.
"We're so lucky to have partner organizations that can take patients, while we box up and move to our transitional location," said Hermance.
