The Gail E. Abrams Wildlife Ambassador Fund

Happy Holidays from Piedmont Wildlife Center!

This season, we're especially thankful for everyone that has shown up in one way or another for PWC this year, whether you met our birds at one of our Raptor Fly-Thru events, participated in our camp programs, or showed your appreciation from afar on social media. If it wasn't for the unwavering support we've been given throughout this year, quite literally none of the work we've been able to accomplish in 2020 would have been possible. That's something to celebrate!

We're also celebrating a new addition to our menagerie of Ambassador Animals: Pepper, the Virginia Opossum! Pepper was found ealier this year as an orphaned baby along with her sister, and was brought to Our Wild Neighbors, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Hillsborough, NC. Pepper was deemed too small to be released, so she is now a permanent resident at PWC. While she is only about 6 months old, she has tons of personality and has warmed right up to us. We're so excited to have her as an ambassador for the Virginia Opossum!

While we are not a wildlife rehabilitation center ourselves, we do house and care for 25 Ambassador Animals, most of which are rehabilitated, non-releasable wildlife. And as much as we love to care for these amazing creatures, it takes a lot of time--and funding--to do so. To provide the high quality care we strive for, which includes regular (and sometimes suprise) vet visits, balanced diets, medications, and so much more, it will cost us an estimated $570 a year to care for Pepper. Add in our other 24 animals--including raptors, reptiles and mammals--and things really start to add up. 

In addition to providing a lifelong home to our Ambassador Animals, we have the opportunity to provide up-close encounters with these animals to the public. This gives us a unique opportunity to share each animal's individual story while also educating the public on the role of their species in the surrounding ecosystem. We are honored to bring often misunderstood creatures like Pepper to people and help them understand, respect, and coexist with our wild neighbors!

Your generosity is what enables us to bring Pepper's story to so many, and we thank YOU for being a part of Piedmont Wildlife Center's story. We wish you a safe and cheerful holiday season!

Links:

• Meet Pepper the Opossum (Giving Tuesday Live Stream)
• Adopt/Sponsor Pepper the Opossum!

It's hard to believe that the summer is coming to an end! Our raptors are having plenty of fun in the sun in their outdoor enclosures this summer, despite it being a much calmer season than usual. Thankfully, the birds are still getting plenty of interaction: Apollo the Barred Owl and Jackson the Mississippi Kite have been "frequent flyers" in our Virtual Animal Encounters, and all of the birds had a blast at our Fly Thru in June (a drive-thru style animal program!). 

Our Conservation team has been hard at work making improvements on enclosures this summer: installing new tables and perches, sprucing up interiors, fixing doors, and more. It takes a good deal of time and materials to keep these enclosures in tip-top shape, and it's all thanks to your support!

With a slower summer season, we'e also had a chance to do some sprucing up outside of the enclosures as well. A talented artist and Biology teacher in the community has begun a fantastic mural on Bella the Great Horned Owl's enlclosure. Take a look! How many of the birds do you recognize?

While we have thankfully been able to run summer camps at a reduced capacity with safety protocols in place, animal care--including food, medications/supplements, and enclosure maintenance--must carry on as usual, and the costs are the same to us. We are committed to providing the highest quality care possible to our 24 Ambassador Animals, and we can't do it without you! Your contribution today enables us to be here for you tomorrow. 

Thank you so much for your support--stay healthy and safe!