San Rafael wildlife center begins relocating for renovation

After treating an estimated 120,000 wild animals from across the Bay Area over the past 50 years, WildCare in San Rafael is due for a makeover.

The organization’s site on Albert Park Lane will undergo a two-year renovation project at a cost of $24 million. This month, the nonprofit rescue organization is moving its operations to a temporary location leased from San Rafael City Schools.

When the renovations are complete, WildCare will have a three-story animal hospital that includes separate suites for surgery and examinations. The current site only has one small room for medical procedures.

“Instead of doing it all in a tiny space it will make a huge difference,” WildCare spokesperson Alison Hermance said about the future hospital.

Every year, WildCare admits around 3,500 patients from 200 native and migratory species, she said. Most of the patients arrive between April and August.

The WildCare staff also visits schools across Marin County and hosts nature hikes in places such as Muir Woods and China Camp to educate students about their animal neighbors. Ellyn Weisel, the executive director, said the organization expects to visit more than 13,000 students this year.

“It’s important that this organization is here for generations to come because we’re about caring for wildlife and educating our community,” she said.

WildCare is raising funds for the renovation. Weisel said it has reached 70% of its goal.

“This is a community project for sure,” she said.

The nonprofit has 35 employees and more than 250 volunteers. It is mainly funded by private donations.

“Everything we do is for the wildlife and to help people navigate the boundary between the humans and animals that come into contact with each other,” Hermance said.

On Wednesday, staff and volunteers began the 19-day process of transporting animal patients to partner facilities and transitioning into WildCare’s temporary home. They hope to reopen hospital operations at their temporary site at the end of the month.

“All hands are on deck in taking care of patients and setting up the transition location,” said Melanie Piazza, the animal care director. “We need a brief period of time with no animals in care while we’re also packing up and moving.”

During the first day of the move, a line of people carried cages of small animals such as baby squirrels and deer mice. Later that morning, the staff carefully placed three grouchy raccoons into an animal carrier for a road trip to an animal care center in Sonoma County.

Patients treated at WildCare are ultimately released back into the wild. The raccoons’ stubborn behavior is what the staff wants to see.

“What we do in the wildlife hospital is to keep the animals wild and make sure they are not accustomed to humans,” Hermance said.

She said a black bear lived as an ambassador animal at WildCare’s facility until his death in the 1980s. The bear was a former pet.

“There are so many domestic animals that need care and we’re always telling people to not make a wild animal a pet,” Hermance said.

During a tour, she showed an array of specialized medical equipment for animals such as coyotes and squirrels. She also showed off a thick diet guide for numerous species and stood by a volunteer who used tweezers to hand-feed mealworms to a pair of injured mockingbirds.

There are also plans for the restoration of the 135-year-old building that houses WildCare’s natural history museum. The wooden structure was originally a community hall for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Weisel said.

The WildCare staff will announce the temporary site’s address after they reopen operations there by Sept. 30. Until then, the public can call the group’s rescue hotline at 415-456-7283.