Wildlife Haven’s Baby Shower a Success!

By Angelique Forest

Wildlife Haven’s annual Baby Shower event, held on May 25, was a resounding success despite the chilly weather. Generous donors and attendees came together to support the non-profit organization, which focuses on the rehabilitation and release of injured, sick, and orphaned wildlife.

“The Baby Shower was a very successful event this year! We had so many generous donors who pre-purchased items off our registry, and then many people who brought their donations directly to us at our event,” said Amy Wilkes, Education Program Manager with Wildlife Haven. “Attendance was a bit down from last year, likely due to the weather being pretty cold that day.”

In addition to the Baby Shower, Wildlife Haven is participating for the first time in the One Great Lottery fundraiser. This initiative aims to raise awareness and funds for Manitoba non-profit organizations.

“This fundraiser was created to raise awareness and funds for Manitoba non-profit organizations. People can purchase tickets through our direct link, and the net proceeds from the ticket sales using our link will go towards us,” Wilkes explained. “We are the only wildlife rehabilitation participating in the fundraiser this year.”

While Wildlife Haven has not set specific monetary goals for the One Great Lottery, any funds received will be greatly appreciated and will go directly towards the care of the patients and ambassadors.

“We hope that participating in a fundraiser as well-known as One Great Lottery will help to raise awareness about the work that we do at Wildlife Haven,” Wilkes added. “The more people who are familiar with our organization, the more animals we can help.”

One of the highlights of the Baby Shower was the story of the fox kits currently in Wildlife Haven’s care. The kits were found dehydrated and orphaned, with their mother not seen for five days. Thanks to Wildlife Haven’s dedicated team, the kits are now recovering well.

“The fox kits will likely be in our care until the end of summer or early fall. They will require quite extensive care while at Wildlife Haven,” said Wilkes. “They are currently in an outdoor enclosure which has been outfitted specifically to the habitat requirements for foxes. They will require lots of meat while in care, and once they are more grown, they will start prey training. In order to be released, the fox kits must have the necessary skills to survive on their own in the wild.”

Wilkes emphasized the importance of the fox kits staying together, as it ensures they can develop necessary wild skills through play and interaction with each other.

With the success of the Baby Shower and the ongoing One Great Lottery fundraiser, Wildlife Haven continues to thrive, providing essential care to Manitoba’s wildlife. The organization’s efforts are a testament to the community’s support and the dedication of its staff and volunteers.