PHOTOS PROVIDED BY WERC • LARRY CAMPBELL AND MARK GRZAN

Every year , the Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center ( WERC ) takes in an average of 200 native wild animals . WERC is both an acute care center for the sick and injured , and a nurturing center for orphaned wildlife too young to survive on their own . As a temporary refuge , the organization ’ s goal is not to tame , but to rehabilitate and then release healthy animals back into their native habitat to live wild and free .

The science of wildlife rehabilitation is constantly evolving . WERC meets new requirements for animal care , feeding , handling and physical therapy through staff education and training . Today , WERC is the only South Santa Clara County facility licensed by both the U . S . and California Departments of Fish and Wildlife Service to care for native wildlife . It has also received accreditation by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for meeting facilities standards and the care and caging of wildlife for rehabilitation .

WERC ’ s best practice models for rehabilitation and release of birds of prey and bobcats are increasingly being adopted by other agencies .

When an orphan bobcat cub was found , weak and struggling , on a neighborhood street in Fairfield , California , a concerned resident brought it to the nearby Suisun Wildlife Center . The cub weighed only 2.5 pounds and was infested with ticks , fleas and mites . Aware of WERC ’ s successes with orphaned bobcats , the Suisun staff brought the cub in . Animal Care Coordinator Colleen Grzan and other WERC staff cared for “ Fairfield ” through a proven program designed to imprint bobcat rather than human traits on the cub . For example , the caregiver always dresses in a full-body , fur-covered suit and gloves that have a camouflage pattern and are rubbed with feline urine to mask human scent . The caregiver never speaks or walks upright when working with a cub , but instead mimics the behavior of an adult bobcat to prompt the cub ’ s natural instincts to play , hunt or hide . Four months after Fairfield ’ s arrival , WERC released him , full-grown and feisty at 18.7 pounds , back into the wild .

According to WERC ’ s Education Outreach Coordinator Anna Venneman , “ Our bobcat anti-imprinting , rehab and release program has been so successful that China is using our protocol to work with pandas , and the Monterey Aquarium is adapting it to rehabilitate sea otters .”

On another occasion , a female Golden Eagle was brought in after a head trauma left her with temporary loss of vision . The eagle was able to roost , recuperate , and as her vision returned , to fly about inside WERC ’ s 100-foot aviary . Nicknamed “ Morgan ” before her release , the eagle was outfitted with an identification band on her leg and a tiny telemetry backpack that helps WERC track her movements .

An orphaned three-month-old “ owlet ” was delivered to WERC for some surrogate mothering from Luna , an adult great horned owl and one of WERC ’ s official “ ambassador ” animals . While Luna herself cannot be released back into the wild , she is an apt teacher able to show her feathered students the ins and outs of life as a raptor . The young owl grew and thrived under the care of Luna and WERC staff . When the time was right she was released back into the wild .

WERC educational outreach touches more than 2,500 children each year . Special emphasis is placed on the importance of wildlife safety , habitat preservation , wilderness awareness and , as WERC President Joy Joyner describes it , “ the need to co-exist peacefully with our native wildlife .”

To raise community awareness and support for wildlife rehabilitation and education services , WERC teams up with a variety of organizations including Santa Clara County Open Space Authority , Natural Resources Conservation Service , Sustainable Agriculture Education , the Discovery Museum and the Rosicrucian Museum .

Morgan Hill-based WERC was founded by Sue Howell , a long-time South County resident and avid nature enthusiast . Along with her role as the organization ’ s Executive Director , Howell is also an ambassador for Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce , and a board member of California Council for Wildlife Rehabilitators . Over the years , Howell and her staff have welcomed community involvement through donations , summer internships and animal sponsorship as well as volunteer opportunities in animal care , handy person services , grant writing and fundraising events .

GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN JULY / AUGUST 2015 gmhtoday . com

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