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.

26/09/2025

🦅 It’s $5 Friday at WINC! 🦉

Right now, we’re caring for Red-tailed Hawks, Broad-winged Hawks, Great Horned Owls, and a Cooper’s Hawk — all recovering from traumatic injuries and illnesses. From shoulder, wing, and head trauma, each one needs specialized diets, medicine, and expert care.

That’s where you come in. Just $5 helps provide meals, medicine, and the chance for these majestic birds to soar again.

🦉 $5 → Rodents for a hungry owl or hawk�
🦅 $10 → Medicine for a hawk’s recovery�
💧 $15 → Fluids for one patient
�💚 $25 → X-ray to diagnose a critical injury�
💊 $60 → Medication for 4 patients

Every gift, no matter the size, helps keep raptors on the wing — and ensures they return to the skies where they belong.

👉 Donate today and be part of their journey back to freedom!�
➡️ Give $5 (or more!) and make a big difference for these majestic birds: https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/projects/260064-5-friday-help-hawks-owls-heal

25/09/2025

This we are giving a HUGE shout out to our Wildlife Care Interns! Our summer interns have been a tremendous help this busy season! From helping feed all the baby squirrels, raccoons, opossums, songbirds, and more, to prepping diets, cleaning and setting up enclosures, and helping assist our wildlife rehabilitators in the care of many other patients, you have made a huge difference.

We are so thankful to share our passion of helping wildlife with you. Because of your hard work and dedication, we are able to provide care to the many patients that come through our doors and save many lives! We couldn’t have done it without you. THANK YOU!

24/09/2025

We recently released 4 Wild Turkeys! They were admitted to WINC back in July as tiny little newly hatched chicks (called poults). They were orphaned (separated from their mother) at only a couple days old. They required very specialized care and were with us for several months, growing and learning foraging skills together.

Normally, in the wild, newly hatched poults follow their mother, who feeds them for a few days until they learn to find food on their own. They stay with their mothers for several months, and as they mature they band into groups composed of several hens and their broods.

Wild Turkeys are omnivores eating plant matter that they forage for in flocks, mostly on the ground but sometimes climbing into shrubs or low trees for fruits. They can be seen scratching the forest floor for acorns and supplement their plant diet with snails, ground beetles, and other insects including ticks! With their excellent eyesight they can be seen chasing insects that have caught their attention.

We are so happy to see them go start their lives in the wild!

20/09/2025

As many avian species migrate to their winter ranges, some individuals hit bumps along the way. Many of these birds, like this Red-breasted Nuthatch come in as a result of window collisions. 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).

In addition to their injuries, migrating patients have their own set of challenges. Due to the time sensitive nature of their migration, it is vital we work quickly to assess, treat, and release these patients in time to continue their journeys.

This Red-breasted Nuthatch had a corneal ulcer (damage to the outer layer of the eye). After a few days in care, his ulcer had healed and he was released to continue his migration.

Everyone can help migrating birds, to help them avoid window collisions, use window decals and keep unnecessary lights off at night. Many of these birds will stop at bird feeders along the way, so we ask that you clean your feeders weekly with a 10% bleach solution. Always rinse feeders thoroughly and allow them to dry completely prior to putting them back up.

19/09/2025

This Green Heron was orphaned and extremely weak when he was admitted. He initially needed fluids for hydration and required hand feeding. As he got stronger, he began eating on his own and catching live fish well. During his time in our care, he was provided with plenty of foraging opportunities to perfect his skills in preparation for his release.

Green Herons have a “sit-and-wait" foraging strategy, where they patiently wait on low perches above water for prey. They even are known to use tools, such as dropping small items like twigs, leaves, or insects into the water to attract curious prey.

After 6 weeks in our care, he was in healthy body condition, fishing well, fully independent, and ready for release! He was banded and then released (last month) in an area with other green herons, just in time for their fall migration to begin. He was even spotted days later with another Green Heron. We are so happy to give him a second chance and hope he stays safe during his migration!

15/09/2025

As the leaves begin to change colors and fall, please remeber fallen Leaves are used by a variety of wildlife every year. The are home to many invertebrate species and provide vital nutrients to the soil once they decompose.
Some species, like this Blue-spotted Salamander, live in burrows below the leaf litter. Others like Eastern Gray Squirrels and Virginia Opossums use the leaves to insulate their homes. In order to help the wildlife in your area consider leaving the leaves in your yard. Wild birds also continue to eat the dried stems and seedheads from the flowers that grew in your yard this year.

14/09/2025

This Eastern Bluebird was admitted after he was discovered in someone's pool. Since he was trapped and unable to get out of the water he inhaled some of the pool water. Once inhaled it went into his lungs resulting in a respiratory issue. He is now fully recovered and was recently moved to an outdoor aviary prior to his release.

While swimming pools are fun for us they can be dangerous for wildlife. When wild animals get into a pool they can drown or become injured while they try to escape. Luckily this is easily preventable by using a pool cover, fence or by having some type of ledge or floating escape ramp to allow them an easy way out.

13/09/2025

Fall is almost here! And so is the event of the season—the Wildlife In Need Center’s Fine Wine and Dine event!

Join us for an unforgettable evening to sip, savor, and support wildlife. Enjoy a delectable dinner, appetizers, soup, salad, and dessert, all expertly paired with exquisite wines.

Our silent auction will kick off online a week before the event, so stay tuned and get your bids in early—we have some fantastic items lined up!

Do you have your tickets yet? Please RSVP via the link below before October 2nd. Hurry, as tickets are selling fast! To donate or purchase tickets click here: https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/events/89903-13th-annual-fine-wine-dine-event

A big thank you to our sponsors: Aquatica, Waukesha State Bank, and TKO Miller.

For more details, including the menu and wine pairings, please visit our website here: https://www.helpingwildlife.org/events-2023/13th-annual-fine-wine-and-dine-dinner/

Hope to see you there!

12/09/2025

This beautiful juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was found lying in a parking lot barely able to move. She had limited function in her legs due to spinal trauma, likely from some sort of collision. Initially, her legs were too weak for her to stand. We provided her with anti-inflammatory and pain medications, fluids, nutrition, and plenty of much needed rest.

As she healed, she slowly started to regain strength in her legs. One morning we were pleasantly surprised to find her standing on her own! As time went on, her legs continued to get stronger, and she was perching well.

She was then moved to a small outdoor aviary to practice her landings as she restrengthened her legs. She then spent time in our large flight aviary (sharing the space with a Great Horned Owl roommate) to allow time to recondition her flight and perfect her landings. We are so happy to share that she fully recovered and was just released yesterday!

11/09/2025

🌌✨ The Skies Were Alive Last Night! ✨🌌
Over 1.36 MILLION birds soared across Waukesha County in just one night as they migrate south for the fall! 🐦🔥 That’s millions of wings beating overhead while most of us slept.

Want to track the magic yourself? The BirdCast Migration Dashboard shows real-time movement: https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-WI-133

💡 And here’s how YOU can make a difference for these incredible travelers:
🌟 Make windows bird-safe – decals, tape, or UV stickers prevent deadly collisions.
🌟 Lights out at night – most birds migrate after dark, and bright lights confuse them.
🌟 Keep cats indoors – our feathered friends need safe passage.
🌟 Offer food + water – feeders and baths provide critical pit stops along their journey.

Each small action helps turn our community into a safer stopover for millions of birds passing through. Let’s give them the best chance at reaching their winter homes! 💙🕊️

10/09/2025

For this we could use some help gathering supplies to care for the many patients currently in our care.
For our growing squirrels in mammal nursery, we need lots of whole unsalted nuts, rodent blocks, and batteries for our scales that we use daily to weigh them.
For our raccoons, we could use some bags of in-shell peanuts and cleaning supplies such as nitrile gloves, 13 and 39 gallon garbage bags, bleach, and paper towels.
For our healing turtles we could use more filter replacement cartridges.
Additionally, we need more bungees for setting up enclosures and securing branches and den boxes for many species such as squirrels, raccoons, and raptors.

Thank you all for your continued support, we are so grateful for our supportive community! Our Amazon Wishlist can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1DORO61XYAICK?ref_=wl_share

07/09/2025

Are you or anyone you know interested in getting involved in helping wildlife? If you are interested our next orientation is on September 14th from 1:00-2:30 pm.
Please call 262-965-3090 and leave a message with your name and phone number to RSVP and visit our website for the application to fill out and bring with you. We look forward to meeting you, our future volunteers, at our next orientation!
Our volunteers fill a variety of roles and are vital in our day-to-day operations. Our animal care volunteers assist with the daily care of our hospital patients. Our office volunteers are the start of our admission process, taking phone calls and registering animal patients as they arrive. Education volunteers help provide care for our resident animal ambassadors and help with educational programs. Our maintenance volunteers help our facility stay in tip top shape!
More information about volunteering is here: https://www.helpingwildlife.org/get-involved/

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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