We give mother nature a helping hand by raising and rehabilitating orphaned and injured wildlife so they may be released back to the wild. Our 27-acre site includes a state-of-the-art animal care facility as well as sophisticated enclosures, allowing us to care for–and successfully release–more injured and orphaned animals.
Our Mission: Rescue, Rehabilitate, and Release
Our work is not possible without your support.
Make a DonationGiving Nature a Helping Hand
Rescue
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Community Education
What’s New
Eaglet #24-40 (Eaglet #19) Fledged! 🎉
Look at her explore their new surroundings and try out their wings! As you can see, she is no longer with Em, his foster dad. As the eaglet grew, our skilled staff determined that it was best to move her into a larger space so he could acclimate to her surroundings and be more mobile. This transition is crucial for fledgling eagles, as it allows them to build the strength and coordination needed for flight, practice essential skills, and gain independence in a safe environment.
*Updates are delayed due to technical challenges. We appreciate your patience during our busy season as a non-profit. More exciting updates are coming soon. Stay tuned!*
#eagle #bird #environment #eaglet19 #tahoe #wildlife
Do you know what bird has a silent flight? It’s the owl! 🦉✨Join us for Wild Wonders: Owl’s Extraordinary Senses tomorrow, July 21st at 2:00 PM and dive into the world of these incredible birds!
Free Admission, but donations are greatly appreciated. All donations support our wildlife hospital.
🪑 Bring camp chairs
📍 Location: 1551 Al Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe
🚗 Limited parking – please carpool or bike
🐶 No dogs, please
Seating is limited, so arrive early! Learn more on our website (link in bio!)
Hey you! Yes, YOU! Shopping the Prime Day deals? You can support us too! 🦉💚 Only a few hours left!
We’re in our busiest season, so we go through all our essential items FAST! Imagine hundreds of dishes and loads of laundry every single day.
How You Can Help:
🛍️ Shop Our Amazon Wishlist: link in the bio!
🛒 Local Shoppers: We need paper towels, unscented detergent, Dawn dish soap, ceramic ramekins, gallon ziplock bags, saran wrap, and extra-large food storage containers!
Our animal ambassadors have wishlist items, too! Phoenix was recently gifted a scale. Check him out using it!
Every little bit helps. Thank you for your amazing support!
Did you miss Porky in her Porkymobile at our first Wild Wonders event? Don’t worry! There are plenty more opportunities for you to join and learn about our local wildlife populations.
Join us tomorrow at 6:00 PM at LTWC for a special presentation by Sarah from the @tahoenaturalists . Discover fascinating insights into our local bird species and more! 🐦
🪑 Bring camp chairs
🚗 Limited parking – please carpool or bike
🐶 No dogs, please
🌧 Rain or shine – we’ll move indoors if needed
Seating is limited, so arrive early! Learn more on our website.
Hawk Week: Day 7!!
🦅 Ospreys are more unique than Harriers or Harris`s Hawks! 🌟
Though related to Hawks and Eagles, Ospreys belong to their own family, Pandionidae. Perfectly adapted for fishing, they have long curved talons, a reversible toe, and a sandpaper-like texture for gripping fish. Ospreys can carry fish as heavy as themselves and are often harassed by Bald Eagles and other birds trying to steal their catch.
Meet Wyatt, a Harris`s Hawk our education curator Kit worked with at the Cornell Raptor Program! 🌟
Harris`s Hawks are unique for their social hunting in family groups, increasing success by 10% with each member, typically up to seven hawks. They also "back-stack," perching on each other, possibly to get a better view or when good perches are scarce.
#BirdsofPrey #Raptor #wildlife #bird #animal
Yesterday`s Red-tailed Hawks are a prime example of buteo or soaring hawks! 🌟 Around Lake Tahoe, you`ll also find Swainson`s Hawks and Red-shouldered Hawks.
While most buteos primarily eat small mammals like rodents, these two hawks mix things up:
- Swainson`s Hawks rely on mammals during breeding season to feed their young but feast on grasshoppers the rest of the year!
- Northern Red-shouldered Hawks mostly eat mammals, but their southern counterparts prefer snakes and frogs!
Photos:
1. Red-shouldered Hawk with lizard prey
2. Swainson`s Hawk with grasshopper prey
Hawk Week: Day 4!🦅 Meet Phoenix, our ambassador Red-tailed Hawk!
Red-tailed Hawks span North and Central America and have 16 distinct subspecies. Phoenix represents the Western subspecies, known for darker plumage and striped tails.
Explore photos from the Red-tailed Hawk project (@ornithologi), featuring a rare fully white hawk from Oklahoma and other fascinating variations!
Photos:
1. Phoenix - Adult Western Red-tailed Hawk (Light Morph)
2. Adult Eastern Red-tailed Hawk
3. Adult Western Red-tailed Hawk (Dark Morph)
4. Juvenile Western Red-tailed Hawk (hawks under a year old have a brown striped tail)
5. Adult Fully White Red-tailed Hawk
All birds are handled with proper permits and training. redtailhawkproject.org
#sharkWeek #Hawk #BirdsofPrey #Wildlife #bird #animal
Hawk Week: Day 3! 🦅 Meet Fred, the American Goshawk from Cornell Raptor Program! 🌟 She’s North America’s largest accipiter hawk and our education curator, Kit, has worked with her up close!
Did You Know? American and Eurasian Goshawks were once thought to be the same species but were split into two last year!
📸 In the first photo, you can see Fred. The second photo highlights the Eurasian Goshawk’s bolder chest bars. And in the third photo, check out the juvenile Goshawk’s brown back and streaky chest, similar to young Cooper`s and Sharp-shinned Hawks.
#BirdsofPrey #Birding #Conservation #bird #animal
Hawk Week: Day 2 🦅 Meet the fascinating Northern Harriers! Recent genetic analysis suggests they’re likely accipiters!
With large wings for slow soaring and hovering over fields, they’re expert hunters, using their facial ruff for enhanced hearing to catch prey in long grass. And here’s the twist: they nest on the ground!
You can identify them by their plumage as Females and juveniles are brown, while males sport a striking silvery grey plumage, earning them the nickname “the grey ghost.”
Photos: 1. Female showcasing her facial ruff 2. Male in action while hunting!
#hawk #wildlife #animals #bird #environment #sharkweek
It might be Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, but here at LTWC, it’s Hawk Week! Can you tell these two hawks apart? 🦅
Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper’s Hawks are types of small, elusive hawks called accipiters. They’re trickier to see compared to larger hawks like buteos. Sometimes, you might catch them near your bird feeder, where they hunt smaller birds, including other hawks like American Kestrels!
Here are some ways to tell them apart:
-Cooper’s Hawks are crow-sized, with a square-shaped head, a black cap, and shorter outer tail feathers that make their tails look rounded when they fly.
-Sharp-shinned Hawks are closer in size to a jay, with a rounded head, a dark grey hood that continues down their back, and tail feathers that are all the same length.
Check out the photos to see these fascinating birds up close!🦅
Photos: 1. Education specimens of a Juvenile Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawk 2. Adult Sharp-shinned Hawk 3. Adult Cooper’s Hawk
#hawk #wildlife #animals #bird #environment #sharkweek
Porky`s all ready for her 2024 debut today! Kick off our Wild Wonders Learning Series today at 2 PM with a fascinating talk on Porcupines! 🌞
Scroll past Porky to discover the unique Old World Porcupines from Africa, Asia, and Southern Europe. Surprisingly they evolved their quills completely independently of their New World Cousins! 🌍🦔
#wildlife #porcupine #tahoe #environment
You’re Invited to the Wild Wonders Learning Series! 🐻
We’ve revamped Wildlife Wednesday with exciting changes! Now, we have sessions every other week on both Wednesday and Sunday, with family-friendly fun and expert talks on local conservation efforts!
Join us for our first session this Sunday, July 7th, at 2:00 PM at 1551 AL Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe. Enjoy a fascinating hour with Kit Ellsworth and meet Porky, our Porcupine Ambassador!
Free Admission, but donations are greatly appreciated. All revenue directly helps save our local wildlife populations through our wildlife hospital.
🪑 Bring camp chairs
🚗 Limited parking – please carpool or bike
🐶 No dogs, please
🌧 Rain or shine – we’ll move indoors if needed
Seating is limited, so arrive early! Learn more with the link in our bio! #tahoe #laketahoe
🎆 Happy 4th of July from Phoenix the Red-Tailed Hawk!✨ Join Phoenix as he shares an important message about celebrations today.
This Fourth of July, let’s extend our care to all wildlife, big and small. While fireworks light up the sky, they also bring pollution and fear to wildlife and pets. The loud noises and bright lights can disorient animals, causing them to panic and putting their safety at risk—running into traffic, buildings, and windows, even leading some to abandon their young.
Instead of fireworks, let’s explore alternative ways to celebrate. Whether through community gatherings, parades, or enjoying the natural beauty around us, we can minimize our impact on the environment and our wild neighbors.
Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful Fourth of July! 🎉
#fourthofjuly #wildlife #animals #bird #environment
Urgent Help Needed: Feed Our Baby Songbirds!
We are almost completely out of mealworms, and our baby birds are hungry! These little ones consume 1,000 - 2,000 mealworms daily. Despite our best efforts, our supplier is experiencing extreme delays, and nearly 100% of the mealworms delivered have arrived dead.
We`ve exhausted all local options in South Lake Tahoe and are now making two-hour round trips to out-of-town pet stores to get more.
This is where we need your help! If you have a Petco or a local pet store near you, please consider donating live mealworms, superworms, wax worms, or crickets and dropping them off at our center.
📍 Location: 1551 Al Tahoe Blvd, South Lake Tahoe
🕗 Drop Off Hours: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Daily
Your contribution will have an immediate impact on these vulnerable patients. Thank you for your support!
🦔🎉 Happy World Porcupine Day! 🎉🦔
Meet Porky, our North American Porcupine at LTWC! 🌟 Join us this Sunday at 2 PM for our first Wild Wonders Learning Series, featuring an exciting presentation about these incredible rodents.
Today, let`s celebrate by exploring the amazing species of New World Porcupines from North, Central, and South America! 🌎🦔
#WorldPorcupineDay #Rodent #Wildlife #animal #Nature #Explore #conservation
Did you guess correctly? It’s a Northern Flying Squirrel! We’re currently caring for two of these incredible species. Meet #24-182, rescued after being found orphaned on a golf course, and #24-217, who arrived emaciated and orphaned. Our dedicated team is providing round-the-clock care, focusing on rehydration and frequent feedings.
At this young age, both squirrels wouldn’t have survived in the wild, and now they have a second chance at life! 🌟 Will you help support our efforts to save wildlife like them?
#wildlife #animal #environment #conservation #rodent #laketahoe
New Species Alert! 🌟 Can you guess this patient?
Here are a few hints:
1. It’s a small, nocturnal mammal.
2. Known for its ability to glide through the air using a membrane called a patagium.
3. They are found in forested areas and are excellent climbers.
Comment your guesses below! 🐿️💫
#wildlife #animal #environment #conservation #rodent #laketahoe
Happy American Eagle Day! Meet our ambassador, the Bald Eagle named Em. Did you know that Bald Eagles, our national symbol, are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald Eagle Protection Act? 🦅
This protection was crucial because, at one point, Bald Eagles were on the brink of extinction. Before the widespread use of the pesticide DDT, over 100,000 bounties were paid in Alaska to people who killed Bald Eagles, as they were seen as threats to livestock or hunting competition. Later, DDT use in agriculture further decimated their population.
Fortunately, thanks to these protections, wild populations have made a remarkable recovery, and Bald Eagles were removed from the endangered species list in 2007!
#wildlife #bird #conservation #earth #animal #environment
Did you guess the species correctly? It`s a House Wren!
These little ones are currently being cared for in our wildlife hospital. They arrived as unexpected stowaways after their nest was discovered on a trailer. Our dedicated team works tirelessly to keep them fed and happy, with feedings every 30 minutes from sunrise to sunset. Once they learn to self-feed, build their flight muscles, and acclimate to the weather, they`ll be ready for their journey back to the wild!
#wildlife #bird #songbird #animal #conservation
Coexisting
Living with Wildlife in the Tahoe Basin
The Lake Tahoe region is known as being one of the most beautiful places on earth, known for its stunning natural splendor. It’s no surprise that so many people chose to live and visit here! Wildlife are a fundamental part of our region’s environment, and knowing that we are sharing the area with so many beautiful animals is part of what makes this area so special for many of us. Yet, sharing our space with wildlife can bring its own set of challenges. Our bears are adept at getting human food from trash containers, woodpeckers can become house-peckers, and your dog may just come home with a face full of quills if she gets too close to a porcupine. Click below to learn more about the most common human-wildlife conflicts in our area and what you can do to avoid or address these issues yourself.
