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.

Join us for a festive morning at the Holiday Meet & Greet this Saturday, December 6th, 2025, from 10 AM–12 PM at the Wil...
04/12/2025

Join us for a festive morning at the Holiday Meet & Greet this Saturday, December 6th, 2025, from 10 AM–12 PM at the Wildlife In Need Center!

Meet our Education Ambassadors up close and learn fun facts about Wisconsin wildlife. You might see:
🐢 Jewel the Ornate Box Turtle
🦝 Kasper the Virginia Opossum
🐍 Evie the Eastern Fox Snake
🦨 Chase the Striped Skunk
🐢 Twiggy the Midland Painted Turtle
🐍 A baby Bullsnake in training
🐿️ Willow the Woodchuck
🐿️ Acorn & Aspen the Flying Squirrels

Plus browse unique holiday gifts and enjoy tasty treats from our bake sale, perfect for stockings or a little self-indulgence!

This kid-friendly, family event is the perfect way to kick off the holidays.
Suggested donation: $2/person, benefiting the Wildlife In Need Center and our mission.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

03/12/2025

We’re not sure who’s more excited, all of us here at WINC for having raised over $11,250 so far, or this Green Heron! 🐟

Earlier this year, this young Green Heron came to us orphaned and extremely weak. He needed handfeeding at first, but soon he grew strong enough to hunt live fish on his own. After a full recovery, he was released back into the wild.

Your support helps us provide vital, life-saving care for the many wildlife patients that come through our doors. Your contributions help pay for fluids, medications, lab work, x-rays, food, and so much more.

It's not too late, you can still help us reach our goal of $20,000. Please share this post with friends and family who want to help us heal and release our patients back into their native habitat.

Every dollar helps, so please donate what you can! Follow this link https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/projects/262202-giving-tuesday-december-2-2025 to donate today

We couldn't be more grateful for everyone who has given today during . Thank you for investing in our mission. Together, we have made a difference!

02/12/2025

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far! We are currently at $5,025 and still have a way to go until we reach $20,000!

This woodchuck was in very bad condition when he arrived nearly one month ago. After being shot (in the shoulder), he struggled for quite a while (likely several weeks) until he eventually found his way to a road where he was then hit by a vehicle.

When he was admitted he was in very bad shape. He was extremely thin and weak, with abrasions on his head and eye. He had difficulty walking and had neurological issues affecting his balance and overall mobility. It took nearly a week before he was strong enough to eat on his own. We managed his pain and with extensive supportive and medical care, he is now able to stand, walk, eat and he is even getting a bit feisty (healthy and normal behavior for this species ❤).

He has the winter ahead of him to continue healing and getting stronger, and we are hopeful that he will be ready for release in the spring!

Follow the link in our bio or this link: https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/projects/262202-giving-tuesday-december-2-2025

At the Wildlife In Need Center (WINC), we see many patients, some being exceptionally rare. This year, we admitted a Sho...
02/12/2025

At the Wildlife In Need Center (WINC), we see many patients, some being exceptionally rare. This year, we admitted a Short-eared Owl—a species we haven't seen since 2012 (For context, WINC admitted 58 owls last year alone).

Sadly, this majestic bird arrived with a badly fractured wing, an injury caused by being shot. Making the situation critical, the ammunition used was lead shot, which shattered the bone upon impact and introduced the toxic poison into her system.

After five weeks of dedicated care, the fracture is finally stable. She has just moved to an outdoor flight aviary to begin the vital work of rebuilding her strength and stamina. While her wing is healing, she is still battling the effects of lead poisoning.

Your support this Giving Tuesday is crucial. Every donation helps us provide care for amazing animals like this Short-eared Owl. Please let your compassion fly high this Giving Tuesday. Donate here: https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/projects/262202-giving-tuesday-december-2-2025

Today is , a global day of generosity! We will be highlighting wildlife patient rehabilitation stories, made possible b...
02/12/2025

Today is , a global day of generosity! We will be highlighting wildlife patient rehabilitation stories, made possible by our supporters, like you! Today, we are revisiting some of our favorite rehabilitation success stories from this year, like this Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle!

Today, your impact doubles! The first $5,000 will be matched by a generous donor! So far, we have raised $3,455 thanks to your generous donations.
Donate here: https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/projects/262202-giving-tuesday-december-2-2025

This Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle was brought to the Wildlife in Need Center after she was caught by people who were fishing. She had swallowed their hook which then became stuck in her esophagus tissue. In order for us to safely remove the hook she was sedated and an endoscope (a thin scope used to look at tissue inside the body) was used to find the hook.

Since many fishing lures are made to look like fish, they can easily be mistaken as a tasty meal by wild animals. Once ingested they can cause injury to animals’ face, mouths, and GI systems. Animals may also become tangled in the monofilament line that is left attached to many of these hooks. Please dispose of any fishing line, tackle or trash properly. If you see some in the environment, please pick it up, even if it’s not yours. These small acts make a giant impact for animals and saves lives.

Due to the barbs on the hook, the hook had to be carefully pushed through her skin to cut the barbs prior to removing the rest of the hook. The laceration on her throat required sutures and she was treated with antibiotics. Thankfully she was brought in right after she had swallowed the hook, minimizing the damage done. After a month in care, she was fully healed and was released.

Join us today for , a global day of generosity! We will be highlighting wildlife patient rehabilitation stories, made p...
02/12/2025

Join us today for , a global day of generosity! We will be highlighting wildlife patient rehabilitation stories, made possible by our supporters, like you!

Today, your impact doubles! The first $5,000 will be matched by a generous donor! Donate here: https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/projects/262202-giving-tuesday-december-2-2025

This Virginia Opossum was brought in after he was found roaming with a Conibear trap on his neck and head (see picture below behind sensitive content warning). Conibear or body grip traps are lethal traps typically used to catch fur bearing animals. While these traps are legal for use, they should be checked frequently and securely attached to the ground to prevent an animal from escaping with the trap on them.

While these traps are considered lethal, that is not always the case. If the trap doesn’t close onto the right body part, isn't in the perfect position, is weak, or old, the animal in the trap is left injured and suffering.

This opossum suffered severe lacerations on both sides of his neck (see picture below behind sensitive content warning) and numerous wounds on his face and limbs from struggling to try and free himself. He was thin and his wounds were infected and had necrotic (dead) tissue by the time he received help.

He is now a healthy weight, and we are carefully managing his pain and treating his wounds as he continues recover from these serious injuries.

01/12/2025

You make this possible for every injured, orphaned, and ill wild animal we rescue, rehabilitate, and release.

As a nonprofit with no government funding, we rely on compassionate supporters like you to provide lifesaving care and essential wildlife education.

Thanks to you, we’ve supported over 2,500 patients and reached over 25,000 people through our education programs in 2025.

With Giving Tuesday tomorrow, your generosity can make an even greater impact.

Thank you for being a lifeline for our mission and for the wildlife who depend on your support.

Donate here for : https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/projects/262202-giving-tuesday-december-2-2025

Join us December 2nd for , a global day of generosity! We will be highlighting wildlife patient rehabilitation stories,...
30/11/2025

Join us December 2nd for , a global day of generosity! We will be highlighting wildlife patient rehabilitation stories, made possible by our supporters, like you!

Today, we are revisiting one (of many) favorite rehabilitation success stories of a Virginia Opossum family from this past summer.

This Virginia Opossum came to us after being found in someone’s garage. She was extremely thin, weak, and dehydrated. On top of that, she had a fractured and abraded tail, puncture wounds on her body, and a broken canine tooth. During our initial exam, we also discovered she was carrying 11 tiny pink babies in her pouch!

Despite her condition, this resilient mom was doing her best to care for her babies. But because she was so malnourished and dehydrated, they weren’t in great shape either. We immediately got to work—providing her with supportive care, daily wound treatments, medications, and eventually surgery to remove her broken tooth.

Over time, mom regained her strength and began to heal. As she improved, so did her babies, they grew stronger and healthier with her. She spent several months in our care, recovering in a safe, quiet environment while raising her little ones.

Once mom was fully recovered and her babies were old enough to be independent, we released the whole family together back into the wild! We are so thankful to have supporters who help us provide wildlife, like this family, a second chance at survival!

This beautiful male Northern Flicker was found tangled in some garden netting. He was extremely stressed as he frantical...
28/11/2025

This beautiful male Northern Flicker was found tangled in some garden 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 safely finish untangling him. He suffered some minor injuries to his leg and wrist due to 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, opossums, owls, and other birds, are common victims of getting entangled in netting, such as sports netting that is left up when not in use. These nets can be difficult to distinguish, and once an animal is entangled, they become frantic trying to free themselves which can cause serious injuries or even death from exhaustion. We are thankful that this spunky guy was found and able to get the help he needed.

Fun fact: You can distinguish a male Northern Flicker from a female by their facial stripe or “mustache”.

All of us at WINC are so thankful for the support of our community. It would not be possible for us to help our wildlife...
27/11/2025

All of us at WINC are so thankful for the support of our community. It would not be possible for us to help our wildlife patients without your help! Whether it is through donating, volunteering, supporting us on social media, or finding and bringing in animals that need care- we appreciate all you do! So from our family, to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.

Please note that we will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, November 27th, in observance of Thanksgiving.We will open and res...
26/11/2025

Please note that we will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, November 27th, in observance of Thanksgiving.

We will open and resume normal hours, Friday November 28th, at 9 am.

If you have a wild animal that needs care, please keep them in a well-ventilated secure box in a warm dark and quiet area away from any pets and children. Please refrain from giving water and any food and leave us a message on our phone system.

We hope everyone enjoys a warm and restful day.

December 2nd is Giving Tuesday. We will be featuring wildlife stories all day long here on our Facebook!Each year, over ...
25/11/2025

December 2nd is Giving Tuesday. We will be featuring wildlife stories all day long here on our Facebook!

Each year, over 3,000 orphaned, injured, and sick wild animals rely on us for food, medicine, shelter, and expert care. Your gift gives them a second chance, and next week, it will go twice as far for Wisconsin’s wildlife.

Thank you for helping protect the wild ones who need us most.

Donate Now and double your impact! Follow this link https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/projects/262202-giving-tuesday-december-2-2025





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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

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+12629653090

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