Schedule a Program
Prices vary depending upon length of program and distance from the Center. Call 209 883-9414 or email
SWCCenter@StanislausWildlife.org
for more information or to schedule a talk.
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Program Description
Docents from the Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center will present programs on many wildlife related topics. Typical programs feature the natural history of wildlife of the central valley such as birds of prey (hawks and owls), mammal predators (bobcat, fox, coyote), small mammals (rabbits, skunks, oppossums) or wildlife rehabilitation in general. The docents use slides, puppets, games, and/or live animals depending upon the venu, age level, and purpose of the program.
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Meet the Animals
These are some of the traveling animals living at the SWCC.
"We can't all go at once but some of us can come to your program to help illustrate important concepts."
Click on the pictures for a printable image.
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Curley
Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
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Oscar
Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia)
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Curly fell from his nest when he was only about a week old. The people who found him raised him as a pet. They let him fly free. A car hit him, breaking his wing. His behavior is very unusual. He is extremely bonded to humans, and he acts more like a parrot than an owl. He has been with the Center since 2003.
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Oscar was found tangled in a barbed wire fence. He sustained several injuries to both wings and cannot fly very well. Burrowing owl's are a Species of Concern in California. He is tiny, very brave and quite different from other owls. He is the same kind of owl featured in the children's book, "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen. He has been with the Center since 2004.
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Jet
American kestrel (Falco Spariverius)
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Hopper
Common Raven (Corvus corax)
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Jet was hit by a car in 2009. His wing was injured too badly to allow him to fly as well as needed for release. He now lives at the center with Oscar. He loves the high perches. We are trying to get him tame enough to take to schools.
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A California Fish & Game Warden arrested the man for trying to sell Hopper at a flea market. It is illegal to buy, sell or possess most California native species. The warden brought Hopper to us. Hopper is very socialized. He thinks he is human, or we are ravens. Hopper loves to loudly announce his arrival and is quite a showoff. He has been with the Center since 1997.
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Carson
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
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Skunkie
Striped Skunk (Memphitis memphitis)
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Carson was found in a yard with broken wing. She wasn't quite old enough to be out of the nest. We don't know how she injured her wing but it didn't heal well enough for her to be released. She has been at the Center since 2002. Red-tailed hawks are commonly seen perching on fence posts or soaring in the sky. She impresses everyone who sees her.
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Skunkie can into the center as a young and very tame skunk. He simply liked people too much to be released. Because skunks often carry rabies, we cannot release one that might approach a human. He has been desented. Although, unlike most skunks, he never actually sprayed. Another sign that he was hopelessly tame.
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Fizzle
Califormia Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus beecheyi)
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Oreo
King Snake (Lampropeltis getulus)
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Fizzle is the only survivor of a litter of ground squirrels that were starved, cold, and covered with fleas and maggots. She developed ear and skin infections. She is quite small, and after so much medical care, quite tame. She is surprisingly clever and very social. She knows individual people and is very opinionated about what she wants to do.
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Oreo was brought to the Center after an unfortunate meeting with a domestic cat. Cat bites often cause fatal infections in small animals. She is a very calm snake and has been with the Center since 2000. Most snakes eat mice but king snakes prefer to eat other snakes, even rattlesnakes making them the king of snakes.
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Titus
Great-horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)
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Beau
Common Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
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Titus was hit by a car. He has eye, head, and wing injuries that make him non-releasable. From the day we received him he "talked" to us and we suspect that he might have been someone's illegal pet. Great-horned owls are large and majestic.
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When Beau was very young, a well-intentioned person found him and attempted to raise him for release. He was not feed a nutritionally complete diet so his bones are quite fragile, his feathers do not grow properly, and he cannot fly. He is very socialized. He recognized individual people. He even reconizes the cars of his favorite people. He has been with us since 2001.
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Bella
(Vulpes fulva)
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Bella came to the SWCC as a baby. Because she is a red fox we cannot release her. Red fox are introduced species and the Department of Fish and Game prohibits us from releasing them. Fortunately we were able to keep her. She is just too excitable to take on school programs but is can be seen in her cage at the center. She likes to carry towels around in her mouth.
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Programs can be held at schools
or at the Center.
Tours are not included.
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