A wildlife rescue group in Abbotsford feels overwhelmed as it deals with an unprecedented number of animals needing help.
Elizabeth’s Wildlife Centre has been helping displaced or injured birds, squirrels, rabbits and everything in between for the past 31 years. Elizabeth Melnick, founder of the non-profit centre, says this is her busiest year yet. She’s seeing 25 animals a day brought into the volunteer-run facility.
Ongoing development in the Fraser Valley could be to blame for the skyrocketing calls for help, she thinks.
“It just seems to be worse every year. But this year is particularly bad. Lots of displacements, lots of developments. It’s just really taken a toll on these animals,” she told CTV News.
One problem she often sees is ducks trying to return to where they nested the year before, only to find a parking lot or condo where their nest used to be.
“People are frantic because there’re ducklings all over the parking lot and they’re going to get run over,” Melnick said.
Abbotsford councilor Patricia Ross says she’s not sure if this year’s onslaught of calls about wildlife in distress is a fluke or not, but she acknowledged the city has seen significant growth.
“If you think about it, we’re enjoying our lovely homes and backyards because we’ve displaced these critters,” she told CTV news. “So I think it’s our responsibility, at the very least, to take care of them.”
She mentioned that the Fraser Valley and Sumas Mountain are very bio-diverse habitats that could be at risk if disturbed too much.
“I think it’s our responsibility to be very cautious when considering new development,” she said.
Melnick’s centre cares for the animals it rescues until they can be released. It gets $14,000 in annual funding from the City of Abbostford, but Melnick thinks other communities all over the Fraser Valley and beyond should chip in to help because she takes in wildlife from all over.
