Emerald

Emerald, the Anna’s Hummingbird, came to us in 2008 as a young bird that was missing her right foot, either from injury or a birth defect.  Because it was impossible to say whether she would be able to successfully adapt to this disability, it was thought best to have her join our Education program.  Like all hummingbirds, she is curious and somewhat fearless, making it easy for her to be around people.  Emerald thoroughly enjoys bathing in her fountain and has learned to preen herself in flight, since she cannot balance well-enough to do so on a perch.

Great Horned Owl

One of our newest Ambassadors is a Great Horned Owl that was brought into the Care Center as a hatchling in March, 2009. He had been found on the ground underneath a nest and had an obvious wing injury. It was discovered that the wing injury would cause permanent flight restrictions for this owl, making him non-releasable. He is already attending Education programs and, just like any baby, looks at everything as if it's new and exciting. This owl does not yet have a name; the right to name him is one of the auction items at our annual We Like it Wild event on Sunday, November 8th.

Jethro

Jethro is a San Diego gopher snake. His history before coming to a local reptile rescuer in March, 2009, is unknown. However, we estimate that he is 2-3 years old and was very likely taken out of the wild. He typically rests most of the day (gopher snakes in California have been found to spend almost 22 hours every day resting underground) and explores, drinks, bathes, and/or eats in the evenings. Jethro is currently about 5 feet long but is expected to reach at least 6 feet as he fully matures.

Kassie

Kassie, the American kestrel, came to Project Wildlife in 2000 as a young bird with a broken shoulder.  The injury healed but still prevented her from being able to fly very far.  However, her fearless personality has made her a superstar Ambassador; she has attended some of the largest local events without even batting an eye.  Kassie’s diet mostly consists of small mice, but she also enjoys insects.

KwaPai

KwaPai is a red-shouldered hawk who came to Project Wildlife as a hatchling in 2004. He was found on the ground underneath a nest, and it was soon discovered that he was blind in his right eye. With poor depth perception and the inability to see danger from one side, KwaPai was unable to be released into the wild. KwaPai's vocalizations and regal bearing inspired his name, which means "chief" in a dialect of the Kumeyaay people. He actually has a very calm personality and loves the showers he gets in his enclosure on hot days, holding out his wings to get soaking wet underneath.

Loma

Loma is a lilac-crowned Amazon parrot.  Although these are not native to San Diego, there are some feral colonies in the area, formed by birds that were escaped or released pets.  Usually, we don’t get in animal species that are considered pets.  However, Loma was brought in as a nestling who was found underneath a nest in the wild Point Loma colony in 2008.  Because this is not a native animal, she could not be released.  However, she was young enough to join our Education program.  Loma is very smart and learns new things every day.  She also enjoys listening to music, often “singing” along!

Machado

Machado is a perfectly healthy squirrel, which would normally mean that we would have released him into the wild.  However, Machado was not taken in by Project Wildlife as a baby in 2004 but by someone who decided to try to make him a pet.  Because he was raised in someone’s home, he is not afraid of people, dogs, cats, cars, or anything that would get him into trouble if he lived in the wild.  Having wild animals in your home is illegal in California and Machado was confiscated and turned over to Project Wildlife.  Because he is habituated to people, he can never be released but he can represent squirrels and other wild animals in our Education programs.  Machado especially likes seeds and nuts and, just like any squirrel, will sometimes hide them for later.

Ollie

Ollie is a star among raccoons.  He was brought to Project Wildlife in 2006 after a traumatic injury.  Due to his head injury, he has an extraordinarily “laid back” personality for a raccoon, allowing him to be very comfortable around strangers.  Although he does not always act like a normal raccoon, he is curious and playful.  One of his recent favorite behaviors is to hide food in the pockets of old jeans hung in his enclosure.  Ollie, like all raccoons, is an opportunistic omnivore and eats a variety of vegetables, fruits, cat food, rodents, and insects.