Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

AVWS

We visited this shelter on our way through Muskoka last week.
There are many unreleasable animals in the sanctuary.

Phoebe babies, all gone!

I heard about it because my friend, Nancy, found an orphaned fawn. Now, you know not to take in such animals. It is against the law in Ontario, but it is also wrong.
Here is a photo of the fawn, taking by the AVWS staff!

Many parents leave their critters for a period of time, while they forage for food.  (P.S. You've seen my photos of our Phoebe babies, who have since fledged! Hooray, we have our tree house back!) This is the same with fawns, who are left to nap in safety while adults forage. God Bless Phoebe mummy & daddy, who continues to capture bugs!

Our backyard friends - next door they shoot them!

Nancy found the dead mother of the fawn, which isn't a pretty sight. Horrible to see this. But the fawn is being cared for, here is Nancy's full story! We weren't allowed into the barn, they don't want strangers to imprint on the releaseable animals. In fact, our deer, except for Tigger one year, was the only one that bounced up to us, and seemed to enjoy visiting, and following our late cat, Oliver, around the forest.

We spotted two deer and a fawn last week - in our backyard. What a treat!
Not a great photo, I'm too slow, but we are happy they are happy!

But back to AVWS...

First critters are the bunnies.


Then there is the Eurasian Lynx, Banshee. From their website:
She is not a fan of the hot summer afternoons like us humans in Muskoka Lakes. She prefers the cool mornings and the sunsets, but her true joy is the snow. Banshee came to us in 2002. After being used in movies, she was no longer needed and was ordered to be put down. A camera man on the set offered to take her in and he raised her for 2 years. But wild animals mature and Banshee started to become aggressive and unpredictable; showing her natural tendencies. He could not care for her any longer.
What is amazing, is that my hubby, AKA Animal Whisperer, seems to attract the critters. All of them came out of their large enclosures to see him! These are all unadoptable animals. They've been abused by humans are cannot be released.

US coyote, Zoe, now calls Aspen Valley home

Zoe's enclosure

an article from their website

Zoe

This is what the coyote sounds like around our house at 2 a.m.!

Mama Bear

Mama Bear's enclosure - 3 acres

Mama Bear has lived at Aspen Valley since 1994. Permission to cross the border from Michigan was granted to assure that Mama was given a good home. A hunter, who had been using her to train dogs how to attack bears, had her front claws and eyeteeth removed so she was unable to defend herself.
Arctic Wolves

Two Arctic Wolves

The Wolf Whisperer - our volunteer tour guide

In January 2005, AVWS received a call from a Road Side Zoo up in Cochrane, Ontario. They were going into bankruptcy and needed to find homes for animals they were housing. Two Arctic Wolves – sisters – needed to be transported out or they would be euthanized. It was good that they were closing down. The enclosures for the animals were very small and unnatural. Wolves need space and the feeling of freedom. They are now housed in this 5-acre enclosure, where they look like ghosts in the forest.


For all of my photos, beginning with their fabulous mailbox!