New wildlife care facility opens in Saratoga, California

A new wildlife facility has opened in Saratoga, California. Operated by the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA, this center aims to care for injured and sick animals from San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. The facility officially opened on March 16. The center is located in the hills off Highway 9 and spans 197 acres. It includes various nurseries and enclosures for different animal species. Nicole Weger, the wildlife director, said the center accepts all types of wildlife, including endangered and threatened species. The goal is to help these animals recover before they are released back into the wild. Inside the center, there are rooms designed for mammals and birds, making it resemble a hospital rather than a zoo. Each animal species is kept separate to minimize interaction, helping them recover in a safe environment. For example, bobcats and foxes are not housed with birds like crows and hawks. Funding for the center came from the Larry Ellison Foundation, and its planning took over 14 years due to various delays, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the facility has a few animals, such as squirrels and hummingbirds, but staff expect the number to rise as spring progresses. The center also runs a program for imperiled species. This includes the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander and the giant garter snake. These animals face threats from habitat loss and climate change. The center cares for their young until they can be safely released into the wild. Although visitors will not be allowed to roam freely to keep human-animal interactions to a minimum, there is an intake center for the public. This intake center is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. People can bring in injured or orphaned wildlife and provide information about the animal's condition and location.