WILDNorth outgrown current space, looking for new home

Dale Gienow, director of the WildNorth animal rescue, works in bird enclosure. (File photo.) (CTV News Edmonton)

The wildlife rescue and rehabilitation agency WILDNorth is looking to move.

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Management says it has tripled its intake since 2010, when it began operating its wildlife hospital in northwest Edmonton and rehabilitation centre in Parkland County.

“In 2010, we admitted approximately 1,100 wildlife patients into our care. Today, that number has more than tripled—we now care for around 3,500 injured and orphaned wild animals annually!

“Due to capacity issues, we are searching for a new location that can accommodate this volume and the necessary infrastructure to support our growth,” management wrote on social media on Friday, asking for the public’s help finding a new space.

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The agency says it is in need of 10 or more acres in or near Edmonton, as it wants to operate both a hospital and rehabilitation centre at the same location.

WILDNorth was founded in 1989.

The City of Edmonton provides the current hospital space, while WILDNorth rents the rehabilitation property from the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

WILDNorth called both parties “gracious partners.”

It is currently considering all options for a new space, including land purchases, long-term leases and naming opportunities.