Wildlife In Need Center

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Wildlife In Need Center

The Wildlife In Need Center: Connecting people and wildlife through rehabilitation, education and research. (262) 965-3090
Address:
W349 S1480 S. Waterville Rd.

Oconomowoc, WI 53066 The Wildlife In Need Center is dedicated to wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education. WINC rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife and releases healthy animals back into their natural habitat. WINC also delivers educational programming to area elementary schools and to residents of all ages including scout groups, civic groups and senior citizens. The overall m

essage of the programs is to encourage an understanding and appreciation of Wisconsin wildlife and to provide practical, real life applications on the best way for humans to interact with wildlife.

12/11/2025

This juvenile Cooper’s Hawk came to us back in August after someone found him lying on the ground, unable to fly away. He was suffering from neurologic issues and was emaciated (a state of extreme weight loss and weakness due to starvation). We had to very carefully reintroduce food to his system, starting with easily digestible foods. As time went on, he was able to graduate to more solid foods as he became more nutritionally stable.

Due to his neurological condition, he initially was very off balance and unable to stand upright and needed to be propped up with a towel. Eventually, with his improved nutritional state, medications, and time to rest, his neurological symptoms began to improve. One morning our staff was very happy to find him standing up (with the help of leaning against the wall for balance). After a while, he was able to stand upright all on his own and began to perch as well!

He is now eating well on his own, has put on a healthy amount of weight, and is in a larger space to begin practicing short flights and landings. He still has a long way to go, but we are so impressed with how far he has come! He will be staying in our care over the winter, so we are hopeful for a full recovery by spring!

10/11/2025

With fall hunting seasons coming up in Wisconsin, if you hunt, please consider using lead-free ammunition. We are long overdue to ban the use of lead in our environment. Lead is a toxic metal, an environmental contaminant, and a nerve poison; even ingesting one small piece of lead can be enough to cause seizures, organ failure, paralysis and death.
Lead ammunition commonly breaks apart into many small, fragmented pieces. Due to this, lead fragments are often missed and left behind in gut piles, which are easily found and consumed by wild predators and scavengers (most often hawks and eagles). Predators are also likely to catch injured prey, consuming intact lead shot as well as fragments. Scavengers may also consume the injured animal if it passes from its injuries and in the process consume the lead.
Lead poisoning is 100% preventable. Toxins should not be knowingly put into our environment, especially when there are effective alternatives, such as cooper ammunition. Please be responsible when hunting, use the most effective and humane methods and recover the animal (live or deceased) after shooting. Please use non-lead alternatives whenever possible when hunting or fishing (lead fishing tackle is also commonly left behind in the environment and poses a threat to waterfowl). These small changes can save countless lives.
The photo shown here from The Raptor Center in St. Paul, MN is of a Bald Eagle with lead toxicity. Here at WINC, we also admit many wildlife patients suffering from lead toxicity. Treatment for this can be very difficult, and often times symptoms are too severe for recovery. Please visit links below for more resources.

https://huntingwithnonlead.org

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Hunting/Nonlead-Ammunition/Certified

http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/leadpoisoning-2.pdf?

08/11/2025

If you or someone you know is looking for their next winter sewing project, we have you covered! Before our Raccoon Nursery is busy again this spring we need more raccoon hammocks made. See the pattern below for instructions on how to make them. Completed hammocks can be dropped off any day of the week from 9AM-4PM.

05/11/2025

For this we are hoping for some help in restocking cleaning and organization supplies. Now that our busier season is coming to an end, our winter season here at WINC is the time for lots of reorganization and deep cleaning projects to keep our facility in tip-top shape.

We could use hydrogen peroxide disinfectant cleaner, bleach, dish soap, garbage bags (13 and 39 gallon), spray bottles, paper towels, nitrile gloves, and we would love more glove wall-rack organizers for each of our rooms. In addition, we could use some more meat baby food for some of our current Virginia Opossum patients that have injuries to their jaws and require a soft diet.

These items help our patients on their journey to recovery. Thank you all for your continued support; we are so grateful for our supportive community!
Our Amazon wish list can be found at this link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1DORO61XYAICK?ref_=wl_share

04/11/2025

Last month we admitted a Virginia Opossum that was entangled in netting. He was extremely stressed as he frantically tried to free himself. The finders cut the netting around him and brought him to us so we could carefully finish untangling him. He suffered soft tissue trauma on his forelegs from being tightly bound in the netting material. With a little bit of time in our care, his injuries healed well, and he was recently released!

While this case had a happy ending, not all animals are fortunate enough to get the help they need when they are stuck in these situations. Many other animals, such as deer, owls, and other birds, are also common victims of getting entangled in netting, such as sports netting that is left up overnight. These nets can be difficult to distinguish while they are active at night. Please consider taking down your sports netting when not in use to avoid these sorts of accidents.

01/11/2025

For this we are happy to share we recently released two groups of orphaned raccoons!

From the moment a baby raccoon (kit) is admitted into our care, to the day they are released can be 5 to 6 months! Most of these babies were admitted all the way back in May and required extensive care, with frequent bottling-feedings throughout the day. Once older and fully weaned off formula, they were moved to our outdoor enclosures where they spent the rest of the summer maturing developmentally and behaviorally.

Normally in the wild, kits stay with their mother all summer to learn the necessary skills to survive on their own. Since our orphaned kits do not have their mothers, it takes a lot of time and dedication to provide these young raccoons with plenty of opportunities to learn those skills. Our staff, interns, and volunteers work hard to provide them with many forms of enrichment to help them learn to climb, forage, problem solve, and behave as wild raccoons should.

It has been such a rewarding experience to watch them grow and start their lives in the wild!
Thank you to our supporters for making this work possible.

31/10/2025

Happy Halloween! Our animals got into the Halloween spirit with some festive enrichment, Jack-o’-lantern food puzzles! WINC staff and volunteers carved and filled the pumpkins with some of the animals’ favorite foods. All the patients who received the Jack-o’-lanterns were eager to go trick or treating for the goodies that were inside. While these enrichment items are cute, they are also functional. They help keep our patients’ minds stimulated while also helping them work on their foraging skills. From all of us at WINC, have a spook-tacular Halloween!

30/10/2025

On this , we’re proud to recognize the generous support from the George Andrew Markhm Memorial Fund at the Oconomowoc Area Foundation.

Thanks to their recent $5,000 grant, we’re taking a major step forward in wildlife care by establishing a fully functional on-site surgical suite, a critical addition that will enhance our ability to treat injured animals quickly.

This support also empowers us to continue providing essential wildlife rehabilitation, inspire thousands through our education programs, and assist community members who rely on our wildlife hotline.

Thank you, Oconomowoc Area Foundation (OAF) for helping us protect Wisconsin’s wildlife and strengthen our connection with the community.

29/10/2025

On this we are asking for help building up our winter food cache, like many wild species are right now. These caches help them through the winter when food is scarce and play a vital role in dispersing seeds when they are buried but not used.
For our cache we need more shell nuts, for many of our rodent patients, suet and nets for songbirds, and meat baby food for our critical patients who need specialized or soft diets. We need filters and substrates for reptile and amphibian patients spending the winer with us. Lastly we need more hydrogen peroxide cleaner, to keep our hospital clean.

These items help our patients on their journeys to recovery. Thank you all for your continued support.
Our Amazon wish list can be found at this link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1DORO61XYAICK?ref_=wl_share

28/10/2025

Calling all carpenters or crafty people looking for ways to help wildlife! We need help making more squirrel nest boxes! We use these nest boxes to provide many patients, such as Eastern Gray Squirrels, Red squirrels, Flying squirrels, and more with a safe and comfortable place to hide and rest.

This past season we went through our entire supply of wooden nest boxes with all of the orphaned baby squirrels that we raised and released. We are now in need of rebuilding our supply for our current patients, all the adults we will continue to admit over the winter, and to plan ahead for our next busy baby season.

If you are interested in helping with this project or know someone who would be, please visit our website at the link below to access the building instructions. Once built, they can be dropped off anytime during our normal business hours (9AM-4PM, 7 days a week). Thanks in advance! We are so grateful for our supportive community.

https://www.helpingwildlife.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Updated-Squirrel-Nest-Box-Plans-2025-1.pdf

$This Dark-eyed Junco was admitted after she hit a window. Window collisions commonly result in shoulder fractures and co...$

26/10/2025

This Dark-eyed Junco was admitted after she hit a window. Window collisions commonly result in shoulder fractures and corneal injuries (damage to the outer layer of the eye which is not visible without a proper diagnostic evaluation). Since these injuries are hard to see, we recommend that you bring birds to wildlife rehabber for care, even if they look okay.

Dark-eyed Junco was in respiratory distress when she arrived and had a corneal ulcer. We provided emergency care and stabilization and by that evening, she was perching and self-feeding. After a few days, she had fully recovered and was able to be released.

Everyone can help avoid window collisions by using window decals and keeping unnecessary lights off at night.

24/10/2025

🐿️It’s $5 Friday at WINC! 🐢

From Jewel the Ornate Box Turtle to Kasper the Virginia Opossum, our amazing animal ambassadors are more than just adorable faces, they’re living bridges between people and the wild world.

Their stories inspire compassion, their presence sparks curiosity, and every single day, they need dedicated care, enrichment, and your support.

This Friday, we’re raising funds just for them. $5 can help provide:
🍽️ Nutritious, species-specific meals
🏡 Safe, enriching habitats tailored to their needs
🩺 Veterinary care and medicine
📚 Educational tools for programs in schools, events & communities
Every gift, big or small, helps these incredible animals continue to shine, teach, and connect us to nature in unforgettable ways.

🧡 Donate today to support their care and education efforts!
Give $5 or more to make a big difference in our ambassador's lives: https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/projects/261972-5-friday-fur-the-love-of-our-ambassadors

Address

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 16:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 16:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 16:00
Thursday	09:00 - 16:00
Friday	09:00 - 16:00
Saturday	09:00 - 16:00
Sunday	09:00 - 16:00

Telephone

+12629653090

Website

http://www.helpingwildlife.org/

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