Public Service Announcement

About Us - from the perspective of our patients

The California Wildlife Center helps sick, injured, and orphaned animals. Baby bird: I don't know what happen, I lost my mom. Sea lion: I ate some kind of trash. Squirrel: I'm really just not feeling so good. Sea Gull: I always heard about those birds getting stuck in one of those plastic six-pack holders, but I never thought it would happen to me. Deer: Those headlights, they were so big and bright. Pelican: I was tangled up in fishing line - very embarrassing - and everything went black. I wake up in a box. Boom, I'm here! Squirrel: I was nervous at first, but then everyone took good care of me. Baby opossum: they even have worms! Coyote: I'm really happy about how I was able to get back on my feet and how they helped me. Owl: I had fun and all, but I'm glad to be back with my friends. Pelican: It's good to be back - back in action. Coyote: And here I am today - happy. To find out how you can help the California Wildlife Center, call (310)458-WILD

Essential CWC

This is a 10:21-minute video about the California Wildlife Center and its dedication to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife. 13 October 2006

Every day our world collides with nature. View of our building in the Santa Monica Mountains. Snippets of caring for an injured deer, release of a caged animal, baby fawn in the wild, caring for a fox, loading cages for transport, driving to the release point, unloading cages from the truck, releasing two coyotes, coyotes bounding away, coyotes resting together, Snippets of the Malibu/Santa Monica Bay coastline, a beached elephant seal, CWC rescuers examining the elephant seal, an ill sea lion pup. Rescue: responding to animal emergencies. Snippets of CWC rescuers capturing an ill sea lion pup, securing it for transport, the pup in its cage, the pup in the back of a pickup truck, an ill adult sea lion, two sea lions being released on the beach, the sea lions swimming away, treating an injured California sea gull, release of the gull, gull flying away, a brown pelican at the center, feeding the pelican, two baby mallard ducks in the hands of a person, release of a mother and baby mallard ducks. Rehabilitation: providing a high level of care. Snippets of examination of a hawk, feeding the hawk, release of the hawk, hawk flying away, eggs hatching, babies being fed, cleaning a baby, a baby owl in a person's hand, a baby hawk covered with down, a baby barn owl in a person's hand, examination of a barn owl, feeding baby barn owls, baby barn owls in a cage, Release: returning animals to the wild. Snippets of bathing a baby opossum, baby opossum showing his teeth, juvenile opossum drinking formula from dish, backing into Kleenex-box nest, looking at you, care-giver holding baby opossum, inch-long baby rabbit being fed, litter of 4-inch baby rabbits, care-giver holding 4-inch baby rabbit, 6-inch baby rabbit with fur, juvenile rabbit in care-giver's hand, release of juvenile rabbit. Education: providing wildlife information to the community. Snippets of a group of children at a school, a demonstration at the center hospital, group class at the center, children looking at specimens, children holding up wildlife posters, a litter of baby squirrels squirming, a baby squirrel in a towel, baby squirrel being fed, juvenile squirrel feeding from syringe, juvenile squirrel with splint, munching juvenile squirrel, surgery on a snake, snake recovering, bobcat being restrained, surgery on a bobcat, bobcat examination, bobcat looking up, fawn in a blanket, fawn being carried to deer pen (with cover to prevent imprinting), fawns kissing, Picture of CWC building. California Wildlife Center is a nonprofit wildlife care organization dedicated to providing emergency rescue for marine mammals, full service rehabilitative care for local wildlife and ultimately health and freedom to sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals in Los Angeles county. If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation, please contact us at 818-222-2658. Our thanks to our supporters.

Coyote Release

This is a 4:02-minute video about a CWC release of five coyotes on 23 October 2006. Video and photos by Jonsie Ross.

Driving in truck with coyotes in the back of the CWC truck. Walking a long way into the country carrying the coyotes in a crate, to the release site. Coyotes seen in their crate. Setting up with boards for the release from the crate. The opening up of the crate, waiting for the reluctant coyotes to leave! finally the five coyotes ran away free. Shots of the coyotes at the center, just prior to their release. Music: Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf. Video and photos by Jonsie Ross. The California Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization that relies on your generous donations of money or time to continue these activities. If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation, please contact us at 818-222-2658.

Sea Lion Rescue

This is a 10:58-minute video about a CWC rescue of a sea lion at Pirates Cove, Malibu. The characters are: Rocky (the sea lion) and the Wildlife Warriors of Malibu (CWC rescue team). Video and photos by Jonsie Ross.

A call came in about an injured sea lion on the rocks at Pirates, Cove… There was a very emaciated looking Sea Lion. The rescuers planned their rescue, it was a difficult climb down. They finally got close, to start the netting, and using boards, they successfully netted him finally. Then began the long haul back up, around the treacherous rocks, to the sand, where he was put into a crate. Taken to the truck, and put into the back of the truck. Rocky was transported to the marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro where he will be treated, rehabilitated, and tagged. In a few months he will be released back into the wild. Wildlife Warriors: Tristen Joy, Jonsie Ross, and Mabinma Jai. Music: Eye of the Tiger by Survivor, No Easy Way Out by Robert Tepper, Victory Fanfare by Vince Di Cola, Mountain Suite by Stephen. The California Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization that relies on your generous donations of money or time to continue these activities. If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation, please contact us at 818-222-2658.

Deer Release

This is a 6:20-minute video about three abandoned fawns, from rehabilitation to release on 20 October 2007. Video and photos by Jonsie Ross.

About three abandoned fawns, from rehabilitation to release on 20 Oct 2007 They came as orphans. Six months later sees them eating browse at CWC in their deer pen. They then left as a family. They were put into 3 crates, and carried into the back of a van. Dr Duane Tom and Cindy Reyes were both there to supervise. Then began the long drive to "Deer Heaven." They were carried in the crate to a suitable site near a stream, and released. One ran straight into the water! Then they hung around, exploring the area. Finally they moved away. Another successful release. Music by Brian Adams. Here I am this is where I belong. The California Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization that relies on your generous donations of money or time to continue these activities. If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation, please contact us at 818-222-2658.

A Hoot of a Rescue

This is a 4:32-minute video about CWC's rescue of an owl that was trapped in a Walmart entrance for five days on 12 November 2006. Video and photos by Nick and Jonsie Ross

An owl is trapped in the Walmart Entrance for 5 days. The Fire Dept tried, but they couldn't rescue it. Animal Control tried but they couldn't rescue it. California Wildlife Center tried. Plan A: Convincing him to just fly out the door. Result: Unsuccessful, owl was uncooperative. Plan B: Netting him. Result: Unsuccessful, the owl was uncooperative, too fast, and decided to make things a little more interesting by going inside the wall of the store entrance. Plan C: Go into the wall and get him. The space inside the wall was about 19 in. wide, 15 ft high, and about 20 ft long. Of course, the owl was at the end about 9 feet up, and just out of reach! Two people entered, staying on the metal studs, so as not to fall through the dry wall and become instant Walmart Greeters! The owl was watching every move. A ladder was inserted in the wall to get up to the owl. As one person went up the ladder, the owl dropped down onto his foot. The second person tried to throw a towel on him, but again he was just out of reach. Finally the second person laid down across the metal studs and grabbed him. Rescue Over! There he was, safely in a crate, standing on a log, and looking as if he were wondering what all the fuss was about! After feeding, hydrating, and examining him, he was deemed releasable. He was put him back into a crate, ready to be taken to the release site. There he goes, happy to be released for sure! California Wildlife Center tried, and were able to rescue the owl! Thanks to Walmart for you cooperation and trusting CWC to do what was needed to save the owl. Thanks to Debbie Christie for taking action and calling someone about this owl. Music by: Lynard Skynard. Free Bird. Video of release by Nick Ross. Photos by: Jonsie Ross. The California Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization that relies on your generous donations of money or time to continue these activities. If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation, please contact us at 818-222-2658.

Great Horned Owl Release

This is a 6:02-minute video about CWC's release of two owls that were rescued at a young age, rehabilitated, and released. Video by Jonsie Ross. Photos by Victoria Harris.

Two great horned owls were found abandoned. The California Wildlife Center rescued and rehabilitated them for release. One of the baby owls is just laying on a side walk. A close up of one of them. They are now side by side in the CWC flight pen, high up in a nesting box, rehabilitated and ready for release. They are flying around and then netted. The other one is looking on, and then it is netted. Both are put into boxes and taken to a garden near where they were found. Cindy Reyes and Duane Tom are there to release the owls, along with two children watching and assisting. One flies away quickly. The second one decides to stay on the ground and look around before he flies off to a nearby tree. A close up shows the big beautiful eyes of one of them. Thanks to Suzanne Donovan and her family for the use of their beautiful property for this release. Music by Lenny Kravitz: Fly Away, Steve Miller Band: Fly Like An Eagle. Photos by: Victoria Harris. Video by: Jonsie Ross. The California Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization that relies on your generous donations of money or time to continue these activities. If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation, please contact us at 818-222-2658.

Saving Goliath (Sea Lion Rescue, Malibu)

This is a 9:44-minute video about the rescue of an 800-lb sea lion that was trapped beneath a beach house in Malibu in January 2007. Video by Jonsie Ross.

This video features the work of trained professionals. Viewers should not engage in the activities depicted in this video and should never attempt to approach a wild animal. Goliath, an 800 pound male adult sea lion was trapped under a beach house in Malibu behind a chain link fence. California Wildlife Center's Marine mammal Rescue Team Responded. The Los Angeles Fire Dept in Malibu also responded and assisted by cutting back a portion of the fence. Goliath was caught behind the fence, under a beach house. He is shown being filmed by Tristan. The Los Angeles county Fire Dept arrives in their truck. They cut away the chain link fence, and bend it away to make a means of escape for Goliath. CWC Mammal Response Team, then go into action. Cindy and Tristan, with heavy gloves and boards, try to force Goliath out of his corner and around a pillar. He is not cooperative at first, but then gets the message. They guide him with their boards to the prepared gap in the fence. After exiting the beach house, he has to go over large rocks, before finally reaching the beach. At first he just rests a while, but eventually makes his way into the sea. He rolls around in the shallows getting wet, and relishing the water. He then heads a little further out, but seems in no hurry to take off, playing in the water, Gradually he heads further out, through the breaking waves. Cindy and Tristan wave good bye, and give a high five! CWC Marine Mammal Rescue Team: Cindy Reyes and Tristen Joy. Video by Jonsie Ross. Music: The Beatles: Rescue Me, by Pat Benatar. What a Wonderful World, by Rod Stewart. Thanks to the Los Angeles Fire Department in Malibu for their assistance. The Marine Mammal Rescue program is solely funded by the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant. The California Wildlife Center is a non-profit organization that relies on your generous donations of money or time to continue these activities. If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation, please contact us at 818-222-2658.