CORVALLIS, Ore. — The Chintimini Wildlife Center near Corvallis has set an unfortunate record two years in a row.
The Corvallis Gazette-Times reports the shelter cared for about 1,500 sick, injured or orphaned animals in 2016, the most in its history.
As for this year, it’s not even October and the center has already exceeded last year’s total by more than 30 animals. That’s partly due to an influx that occurred during the temporary closure of the Willamette Rehabilitation Center in Eugene.
Rehabilitation director Mary Estes says things should slow down a little, because fewer juveniles are brought in during the fall. But the shelter sees an uptick in trauma cases because raptors are closer to roads looking for food.
In addition to caring for animals, staff members do releases. Last weekend, for example, they sent a rehabilitated red- tailed hawk into the wild.
