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GIVE WILDLIFE A SECOND CHANCE
Boreal Owl: Patient Number 59 of 2025​
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In early winter, our team at Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society received a boreal owl found just south of Carstairs. The bird was grounded in the snow with an injured wing, unable to fly or hunt in the cold forest floor. Boreal owls are seldom seen in our care — we’ve treated only four in the past six years — making this individual especially noteworthy. Over the 30 days of rehabilitation it received focused physiotherapy to restore wing strength, along with a diet of appropriately sized prey and adequate roosting spaces to preserve natural behaviour.
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Once the owl demonstrated strong flight capabilities and passed its prey test we released it back into a quiet coniferous forest near Carstairs. Boreal owls play a vital ecological role in Alberta’s forested landscapes: they inhabit old coniferous or mixed wood stands, often using large tree cavities or woodpecker holes for nesting, and they primarily prey on small mammals like voles. Because they help regulate rodent populations and indicate the health of mature forest systems, each rehabilitation and release supports broader forest-ecosystem integrity in our region.
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Barn Swallow: Patient Number 1614 of 2025​
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Late in July, our team at Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society received a Barn Swallow from Rocky View County whose nest had been destroyed during local maintenance. With its nest gone, the young swallow faced a grim set-back: these birds depend on their parents to feed them flying insects, and the timing late in the season meant fewer opportunities to rebuild and fledge naturally. Over 44 days in our care, we provided a quiet, low-stress environment, fresh insect feedings approximating the bird’s natural diet, and allowed safe access to flight practice so it could regain its aerial agility and hunting instincts. When it demonstrated strong flight, accurate insect capture, and confidence in open-sky conditions, we released it back into suitable habitat in early September.
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Barn Swallows are more than charming yard-birds: they play a key ecosystem role here in Alberta. As aerial insectivores, they help control large volumes of flying insects—flies, mosquitoes and gnats—that thrive over fields and water. Their presence is a signal of healthy open habitats such as agricultural edges, meadows and wetlands. Unfortunately, in Alberta the Barn Swallow is listed as “May Be at Risk” by the province’s Wild Species Status (with concerns about declining nest-site availability and insect prey). By helping this individual, we not only gave one swallow a second chance, but we supported the broader effort to maintain insect-control services and preserve open-habitat songbird populations across southern Alberta.
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Bald Eagle: Patient Number 2275 of 2024​
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In late December 2024, the team at Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society responded to a call about a majestic bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) found at the Glenmore Reservoir, lying on its side, weak, dehydrated and with fluid pooled under its beak. Our team acted swiftly to get the eagle into care, as time was of the essence. After a series of tests came back normal, our wildlife team concluded the bird had likely taken part in an aerial fight and sustained trauma that led to its injuries. After going through our regular intake exams, the eagle received rehabilitation treatment — gentle handling to reduce stress, fluid therapy for rehydration, a warm safe space to recuperate, and a carefully monitored diet to help rebuild strength.
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After only a short period of rehabilitation, our team moved the bird into a flight pen to evaluate its power, coordination and readiness to return to the wild. On December 28th, the day finally came. The eagle was released back to the area it was found-its ideal hunting habitat — and soared free under clear sky.
This successful release is more than just one bird back in the wild. As a top predator, the bald eagle plays a critical role in local ecosystems, helping maintain balance by scavenging and controlling fish or small-mammal populations. The eagle’s story is a reminder of how our team's crucial work can tip the scale for wildlife, and of the importance of coexistence between our urban environment and the natural world.
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American Badger: Patient Number 385 of 2025​
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In the spring of 2025, Calgary Wildlife received a young American Badger (Taxidea taxus) discovered in a ditch near Vulcan, Alberta. Tragically, the badger’s mother was found deceased nearby—likely struck by a vehicle. With its mother gone, the orphaned youngster faced a daunting future, vulnerable to predation and unable to learn vital survival behaviours on its own. The badger was transported to Calgary Wildlife’s hospital, where its rescue marked more than just a single life saved — it represented the rehabilitation of a keystone species for Alberta’s grassland ecosystem.
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Over three months, our dedicated veterinary and rehabilitation team provided species-specific care designed to preserve natural instincts: a diet that mimics what it would eat in the wild, minimal human contact to avoid habituation, and enrichment that encouraged digging and burrowing behaviours. These are essential survival skills for a badger returning to the prairie. As a keystone species, badgers help regulate populations of ground squirrels and other burrowing mammals, aerate soils, promote native plant growth, and even create burrows later used by owls, snakes, and foxes. In August 2025, once our team confirmed the badger was fit and instinctively driven to dig and forage, it was released back into wild grassland habitat. The success of this rehabilitation is not just about one animal — it’s a boost to biodiversity and ecosystem health across Alberta’s prairie lands.
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Check out its release video here
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