Feel Good Friday - Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care

Today’s Feel Good Friday comes to you on location from Lake Tahoe! Three years ago we profiled the League to Save Lake Tahoe – the organization behind the Keep Tahoe Blue campaign - so today we’re going to turn our attention from the lake and focus on the animals. 

Since 1978, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) has been fulfilling their mission to “rescue, rehabilitate, and release” orphaned and injured wildlife. They also educate the community about the health and safety of the wildlife in the Lake Tahoe area.

 

In 2015, LTWC opened a new 27-acre site with a state-of-the-art animal care facility which allows them to care for and release more injured and orphaned animals. Reasons animals come to LTWC can include wildfires, car accidents, predation from pets and other consequences of human activity. All of the animals receive food that is as close as possible to their natural diet as the intention is to treat the animals for their injuries and return them back to the wild.

 

A sampling of the animals LTWC cares for includes: bears, beavers, coyotes, eagles, owls, porcupines, rabbits, raccoons, river otters and skunks! You can see the full list here. The animals are cared for by rehabilitation staff and trained volunteers. Given the frequency of wildfires in California, LTWC has become a leader in treating animals burned in wildfires.

 

Since the beginning, LTWC has cared for more than 24,000 animals and released over 15,000 back to the wild - a 63% release rate! LTWC also provides information on how to co-exist with wildlife in the area. From tips on sealing woodpecker holes in your house to where to buy coyote rollers for your fence, you can find all the co-existing and reporting information you need at this link.

 

If you’d like to help Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care with their mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release wildlife there are several ways to do so. Volunteer your time, donate your money, shop for art and merchandise and support them on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Instagram and Twitter @LTWCRescue.