A. TWC is a registered charity that provides medical care and rehabilitation to sick, injured and orphaned wild animals. TWC also educates the public about wildlife and wildlife related issues. TWC serves the community through several programs and services. 

A. TWC works with wild animals native to southern Ontario. Since opening in 1993, TWC has admitted over 270 different species of wildlife, from tiny hummingbirds to wolves and everything in between! The only wild animals living in southern Ontario that we are not able to admit due to a lack of appropriate caging are adult deer and bears.

A: Toronto Wildlife Centre is located at 60 Carl Hall Road , Unit 4, in Parc Downsview Park near the intersection of Keele and Sheppard in North York.

A: TWC is open from 9AM until 6PM, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. Please note that on December 24^th, 25^th, 26^th, 31^st, and January 1^st, hours are 9am to 4pm.

A: The patient care areas of TWC are not open to the public. Because the animals in our care are wild, to be in captivity is a terrifying experience for them. Stress can severely inhibit recovery from injury or illness, and can even be fatal. Therefore, TWC staff and volunteers go to great lengths to reduce stress, and keep contact with humans (even visual contact) to an absolute minimum.

A: As the only wildlife centre of its kind in Ontario, Toronto Wildlife Centre serves an enormous geographical range encompassing most of Southern Ontario, and extending into Central and Northern Ontario.

A: Unfortunately there is a shortage of wildlife centres and licensed wildlife rehabilitators in Ontario - for many communities, Toronto Wildlife Centre is the only wildlife centre serving their area. If you have found an animal in need of help, TWC Hotline staff can help you identify whether or not there are certified wildlife rehabilitators in your area that accept the species that you’ve found, as well as the best course of action for that animal. Please call 416-631-0662, follow the voice prompts and leave a detailed message. A highly trained staff member will return your call as quickly as possible. Alternately, please contact your local district office of the Ministry of Natural Resources (contact information can be found here http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/ContactUs/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_179002.html) for a list of wildlife rehabilitators in your area, or visit www.owren-online.org..

A: Providing medical treatment and rehabilitation for wildlife is extremely resource-intensive. Because TWC does not charge individuals for treating the animals that they have found and brought in, and because TWC relies on donations and volunteers, we unfortunately do not currently have the resources for a pick-up service.

A: Almost every animal brought in to TWC has become sick, injured or orphaned due to some sort of human related activity. The most common reasons include: attacks by cats, hit by cars, collisions with windows, destruction of habitat, attacks by dogs, and becoming orphaned.

A: Not surprisingly,TWC regularly admits the species that are common to Southern Ontario, including Rock Pigeons, Eastern Grey and Red Squirrels, numerous species of migratory songbirds (e.g. warblers), Raccoons and Striped Skunks. Each year, close to 200 different species are admitted - over 270 species have been admitted since the centre opened.

A: TWC has admitted a wide variety of species over the years, some found in very unusual circumstances, including a Striped Skunk that had hitchhiked on a truck all the way from California, Grey Wolves suffering from mange, a Brown Pelican and two Purple Gallinules that had blown far off course from their native Florida, a scorpion that had traveled in a suitcase from Costa Rica, and many more accidental travelers.

A: The medical, social, caging and general resource needs of domestic animals are very different from the needs of sick, injured and orphaned wild animals. Although we feel the treatment and care of domestic animals is equally important, TWC was created specifically to address the lack of services available in wildlife rehabilitation, and have specialized our resources to meet the needs of wildlife. Similarly, veterinary clinics set up to meet the needs of domestic animals are not equipped to provide rehabilitation to wildlife.

A: There are just over 20 full time staff members who work with several hundred volunteers. During the busy spring and summer seasons, when funding permits, seasonal summer students are hired to assist during our busiest time of year.