North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre Wildlife Watching

Although no one wants to see animals behind jars, North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (NIWRC) provides an opportunity for covered wildlife viewing. This preservation and educational foundation started its operation as a wildlife rescue center on Vancouver Island in 1985, intending to find, shelter, and heal sick, injured, and orphaned animals and then reintroduce them to the wild after they're back on their feet. NIWRC is a non-profit organization that aims for two main objectives: first, to preserve wildlife on Vancouver Island and, in the meantime, to provide an opportunity for wildlife viewing. Second, educate people about wildlife on Vancouver Island and how this organization operates to take care of them. Team members in NIWRC try to rescue animals such as birds with broken wings, electrocuted eagles, and bears who recently lost their parents and take them under custody to get back to normal. The good news is that you may take part in this charity. You may ask to make cash and non-cash donation to provide welfare for all the animals. Furthermore, you may adopt one of the animals, preferably non-releasable ones. However, it doesn't mean that you can take the animal home; it means that you pay for its expense, and the experts there in NIWRC will take good care of it. The variety of animals there is as much as you know about species living on Vancouver Island. Black bears, cougars, wolves, and many kinds of birds are this world-class rehabilitation center's residents. The rule is that once animals are recovered from their pains, they will be released into the wild. Nonetheless, some of them have been through lots of pain and are counted as non-releasable species, such as some orphaned black bear cubs. They will remain at the Centre for public education and wildlife viewing tours. Why do we call it one of the hidden gems on Vancouver Island? Well, NIWRC is one of the places on the Island which visiting it is available for every age; it is even free for children below three. It is open throughout the year, and its operation isn't based on the change of season. And more importantly, while you enjoy watching different kinds of animals, you will be educated too. For further information regarding your adventure in NIWRC, stay with us!

Black bears, especially black bear cubs, are one of the dominant wildlife that will inhabit NIWRC temporarily or permanently. There are even some of the cubs who are born in the center. You may ask why an animal should be kept there for eternity while the main objective is to claim otherwise? Well, based on the discretion of some experts there in the center, due to the high casualty of what had happened to a specific animal, for example, black bears, they would better spend the rest of their life back there in NIWRC. It happens a lot to black bears since they are one the popular species on Vancouver Island annually, attracting many hunters here, it happens a lot that parent bears are hunted, and their immature cubs will be brought to the center to be taken care of. So based on this, black bears are one of the guaranteed species you may gaze upon while visiting North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre.

Wildlife there at NIWRC are kept in separate enclosures. The most amazing thing about them is that merely every of them, or at least the older ones have names. There you will visit raptor cage in which you will see the longest eagle flight cage in Canada. You’ll see different types of bird such as eagles, owls, falcons, and many others which are whether injured or left sick in the wilderness. Amongst all the bird subspecies living there in NIWRC, some of them are inhabiting there permanently such as owls, falcons, vultures, doves, eagles, ducks, hawks, and ravens. Besides these bird residents, there are turtles and black bears who inhabit the center for eternity. According to a group visiting the center from Vancouver Island University  “A variety of birds were present such as Sandor (bald eagle), Trickster (raven), King Alfred (golden eagle), Igor (turkey vulture) and Elsa (snowy owl). The atmosphere was exciting (and noisy!) as the raptors flew around their enclosures. Trickster, the raven, keenly looked at us with a mischievous grin while Emily, the Saker falcon, happily played with a stick.”

Whoever wants to pay a visit to NIWRC sure will check out what kind of animals they are going to see during their tour. As mentioned before, NIWRC is a rehabilitation Centre in which ill, injured, or orphaned animals will be brought to be taken care of and reintroduced into the wild. So, accordingly, it isn’t something stable to say which animals are there to visit. However, there are chances to rescue black bears, cougars, wolves, deer, and different kinds of birds. So, fortunately, or unfortunately, there will be wolves, cougars, and bears.

Although North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre can be a self-guided adventure, tours may be more affordable, and they can be operated privately or with more attendees. Vanisle Wildlife is proud to operate tours indoors and has the experience to hold them in the best way possible. So if you are looking for a wildlife blast in a semi-zoo area, feel free to book a tour and join our team for a new indoor adventure. Not to mention that besides the fun you'll experience there in NIWRC, there will be educations regarding the wildlife brought there and the process they undertake to recover and get back to the wild. Seize the opportunity, prepare your child's career, and head to Parksville for indoor wilderness fun. And don't worry, Vanisle Wildlife is all the way beside you to make your experience the best.