What is Re-wilding
Wildlife shelters aid thousands of mammals and birds affected by human presence, helping them recover and return to the wild, mitigating our impact on wild neighbours.
Rewilding vs Rehabilitation
Raising an orphaned animal so it can survive in the wild on its own, without ever getting comfortable around people.
Rehabilitation
Heals an injury, then releases. Usually weeks. Habituation is a smaller risk.
Sanctuary
Keeps the animal for life. Comfort with people is fine, because it never leaves.
Re-wilding
Raises an orphan for months or years, then returns it as a genuinely wild animal.
Why the distance matters: A bear that associates people with food will walk into a campsite or a backyard. That bear gets destroyed. Every hour of contact we avoid now is a real improvement in its odds later, which is why we do not name every animal, do not let volunteers cuddle cubs, and do not open the shelter to the public.
Rewilding takes time.
From the first call to the final return to the wild, every rescue follows a careful process. Animals are stabilized and given time to recuperate, supported in ways that help them stay wild, prepared for release, and monitored whenever possible after they return to their natural habitat.
Rescue → Recuperate → Stay Wild → Release → Monitor
01
Rescue
An orphaned or injured animal comes in from anywhere in BC.
02
Recuperate
Medical care and feeding, with handling kept to the minimum needed.
03
Stay wild
Natural foods, natural enclosures, no treating them as pets.
04
Release
Site chosen for food, cover, and distance from people. Timed to the season.
05
Monitor
Since 2023 our own researchers track what happens after release.
Four species, four different problems
Same principle, very different timelines.
Since 1989
Black bear
Our longest-running program, and the one other jurisdictions ask us about. We take orphaned cubs from anywhere in BC outside Vancouver and Vancouver Island, where two other groups cover intake. Cubs stay through a full cycle before release into suitable habitat.
197 bears returned to the wild since 1999
Time in care
Around 12 months
Diet
Natural forage, no human food
Release
Remote habitat, seasonally timed
Status
Proven, ongoing
First and only in Canada
Grizzly
Since 2007, in partnership with the BC Government. Grizzlies range further, mature slower, and carry higher stakes than black bears, so we are still learning. We say that plainly because the alternative is pretending otherwise.
The goal is a best-practice manual other jurisdictions can use.
Time in care
Longer than black bears
Partner
BC Government
Release
Case by case, with permits
Status
Work in progress
Our highest volume
Moose
Calves orphaned mostly by vehicle and train collisions. They bond to handlers faster than bears and stress easily, so distance matters even more here. We raise calves on a slow-release program, free to browse in the wild by day, brought in at night for protection from predators, much like they'd get from their mother until the following spring.
Time in care
Until spring, following birth
Diet
Wild browse, day release
Release
Grouped where possible
Status
Ongoing
Our highest volume
Small mammals
Squirrels, hares, raccoons, beavers, porcupines and more — rarely in the news, but most of what comes through our door each year. Injured or orphaned birds we transfer to a specialized raptor or songbird centre rather than treat ourselves.
Time in care
Weeks to months
Diet
Species-specific housing
Release
Near where found, where safe
Status
Ongoing, year-round
*Wolves, cougars, beavers under 3, and mountain goats need long-term or specialized facilities we don't yet have for every case.
Which animals we can take
We're permitted for BC mammals. Some species we transfer, and a few we can't take at all, knowing which is which saves the animal time.
SPECIES
WE TAKE
NOTES
Black bears
Yes
Full re-wilding program
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Grizzly bears
Yes
With government authorisation
Moose and deer
Yes
Calves and fawns
Other BC mammals
Yes
Facilities vary by species — call first
Birds of prey
Transfer
We move them to a raptor facility
Your Donations Save Lives!
Your donation saves Lives Donating to Northern Lights Wildlife Shelter saves wildlife by providing crucial resources for their care, such as food, shelter, and medical treatment. The shelter rescues and re-wilds injured or orphaned wildlife, giving them a second chance at life. Your donation can directly contribute to the well-being and survival of these vulnerable species.
