When caring and compassionate people find an orphaned, abandoned or injured wild animal, they don't just look the other way. They call Operation WildLife.

We are the largest publicly funded wildlife clinic in Kansas, according to Kansas Wildlife and Parks statistics. We receive thousands of wild animals each year, and the release rate averages 69% from year to year - 20% higher than the national average of 49%.

We receive NO state or federal funding, we rely entirely on donations to exist. It is the generosity of people like you that makes it possible for us to continue providing veterinary care, food and rehabilitation for wild animals, with the goal of releasing them back to the wild.

Our main facility is located in Linwood, Kansas - about 15 miles from Lawrence. We also have a receiving center in Shawnee, Kansas from which animals are transported to the main facility daily.

Volunteers are the heart of our program

OWL is staffed by volunteers, interns and one full-time staff member. In addition to our many trained wildlife rehabilitators, our professional volunteer staff includes seven veterinarians, one registered physical therapist and two nutritional counselors. Continuing educaiton and mini-classes keep us current with the most up-to-date techniques across the country.

OWL volunteers continue the work of establishing standards, developing ideas for our annual meeting and regular workshops, and keeping current the statewide rehabilitator directory in an ongoing effort to realize the permanent formation of the Kansas Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (KWRA).

We serve the community

Our services cover nine Kansas counties, or about 4,500 square miles. Injured, orphaned or displaced animals are received from a variety of sources, including Kansas Wildlife and Parks, Kansas Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies, animal control officers, veterinarians and private individuals.

Nature's course takes a cruel turn when a wild animal is...

-hit by a car
-shot illegally
-poisoned
-injured by a trap, fence, window, power line or fishhook
-displaced by construction
-caught by a cat or dog
-possessed illegally as a "pet"...

In cooperation with the members of the community, local veterinarians, and state and federal wildlife agencies, Operation WildLife (OWL) provides rehabilitation and a temporary haven for wild animals in need of help. OWL acts in the best interest of each animal received. After emergency needs are met and stabilized, a program for total recovery is designed. This includes medical attention, special housing, natural foods or close substitutes, and foster siblings or parents for juveniles. All are essential in order for wild animals to be physically and behaviorally prepared to return to their natural habitat.

Facilities

Our 4,000 square foot rehabilitation and education facility enables rehabilitators to provide a full range of physical therapy for patients. It is fully equipped with a surgical suite, isolation, treatment and diagnositc areas, storage, plus flight pens and other outdoor enclosures. Our education facility includes a water garden and songbird habitat We also have a receiving center in Shawnee, Kansas. Animals are transported from the receiving center to the main facility daily. Facility tours are not available due to federal restrictions but we hope to have virtual tours available soon.

Wildlife Rehabilitation

OWL acts in the best interest of each animal received. After emergency needs are met and the animal is stabilized, a program for total recovery is designed. Medical attention, special housing, natural foods or close substitutes, and "siblings" and/or "foster parents" for juveniles are all essential in order for wild animals to be physically and behaviorally prepared to return to their natural habitat. For some animals, such as bobcats, radio collars are used to monitor the animal after reintroduction.

Community Education

OWL provides classes and education programs to individuals, school groups, public agencies, and civic and social organizations. We emphasize the special challenges faced by wild animals today, and offer information on native species and habitat. We also offer suggestions to foster peaceful coexistence between wildlife and humans. In 1997, OWL programs reached 252,061 individuals. In addition to OWL's educational programs, OWL volunteers answer on the average between 40-70 informational phone calls a day.

OWL provides permanent housing for fifteen unreleasable birds of prey and various reptiles for use in public education programs. One of these creatures, OWL's bald eagle, was chosen as the 1996 poster child for the Chickadee Checkoff, and can also be seen on the cover of the 1995 State of Kansas Tax Booklet. Some of OWL's other educational birds include a peregrine falcon, golden eagle and osprey.

Responding to Animals Needing Help

Adult Wildlife

Any adult wild animal that can be easily approached or captured has a very serious problem. A "tame" or "friendly and quiet" animal is almost always suffering from shock, dehydration, infection, starvation or a combination of these conditions.
The length of time between discovering an injured animal and getting it the treatment it needs is critical, and often determines the difference between life and death.

While on the road to recovery, each animal must be provided with a diet and an environment as close to natural as possible in order to be in top physical condition and fully capable of caring for itself before release.

Juvenile Wildlife

True orphans make up only a small percentage of the young animals received by OWL. Fledgling birds spend hours or days on the ground before becoming experienced flyers. Young mammals may appear lost and alone while merely exploring or waiting for a parent to return.
If the animal appears healthy, the parent is probably foraging nearby and caring for its young.

If a young wild animal is injured, debilitated, truly orphaned (the parent has been hit by a car, for example) or is displaced and cannot be returned to its parents, it is in need of prompt, specialized care.

Young birds may require feedings every 15 minutes for 16 hours a day, and all juvenile animals require very specific substitute formulas and individual feeding amounts. Species, age and condition are all factors when providing the best care for good health and future release success.

Irreparable harm can be done in a matter of days or even hours, so call us for help. That's what we're here for!

About Operation WildLife (OWL)

Advocates for wildlife... providing professional rehabilitation services for injured and orphaned wild animals, and wildlife education for the citizens of northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri since 1989.