MARS Wildlife Rescue

MARS Wildlife Rescue FOR ALL WILDLIFE RESCUES OR EMERGENCIES 250-337-2021 ext 2. Please visit our website to see our Hospital/drop-off and Visitor Centre opening hours.
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NEVER use FACEBOOK or EMAIL to report sick or injured wildlife as your message may not be seen right away. Wildlife Rescue Recovery Rehabilitation & Release in the Comox Valley. For all rescues or wildlife emergencies please call 250-337-2021. NEVER use Facebook or email to report sick or injured wildlife

Did you get into my makeup bag?? 💄💅🤩 To the average person, seeing a raccoon with purple eyebrows might seem peculiar, b...
09/01/2026

Did you get into my makeup bag?? 💄💅🤩 To the average person, seeing a raccoon with purple eyebrows might seem peculiar, but as rehabbers we see raccoon number 2 out of a group of 4! 💜

By visually marking each raccoon, whether it's a colour or a shaved patch of fur on a certain body part, we are able to identify which individual is which during their early days in care. When these little critters are bigger and stronger, we microchip them and become much more hands-off. In a few weeks "purple eyebrows" will become "chip 75892671". 🦝

Did you know, we scan all our adult raccoon patients admitted to see if it one that we have treated in the past? There is very little funding to monitor patient success post-release, so by looking for microchips, we are trying to determine our 'returning customer' rate. Thankfully, we have not yet received one of our microchipped raccoons back into care.

By the way, only one week left to get your raffle tickets! Link in our pinned post❤️

Just three juvenile Cedar Waxwings at three different stages! These fledgling and juvenile birds have all come in to car...
08/31/2026

Just three juvenile Cedar Waxwings at three different stages!

These fledgling and juvenile birds have all come in to care in the past week and have been housed together. They have learned to self-feed from each other and have been enjoying their daily flying sessions as a group.

At this time of year, some Cedar Waxwings are forming their migration groups in preparation to head further south for the winter. By late September, a large majority of the Cedar Waxwing population has already moved on, however some will remain until October if berries are still readily available.

Unlike most song birds who breed early in spring to align with insect population peaks, Cedar Waxwings breed much later in the season to align with when berries are best and ripened! 🫐🍒

Meet us at the Fair! 🚜🍿🎻🐎 The Comox Valley Exhibition is in its final day--don't miss this celebration of food, craft, ...
08/30/2026

Meet us at the Fair! 🚜🍿🎻🐎 The Comox Valley Exhibition is in its final day--don't miss this celebration of food, craft, and community. It's a wonderful way for the whole family to wrap up the summer. Talk to our friendly volunteers, tell us about your wildlife encounters, and meet one of ambassador birds. While you're at it, grab a raffle ticket to support hour work. We look forward to seeing you!

The countdown to 🦝 release is on! Right now we have almost 30 raccoons in care, divided up into our outdoor pens, spendi...
08/29/2026

The countdown to 🦝 release is on!

Right now we have almost 30 raccoons in care, divided up into our outdoor pens, spending their days playing, climbing, foraging, and of course, napping...

These critters will continue to reside with us, likely until the end of September when they will be sent out for release in groups based on where they were found. Right now, they are living their best enriched life with healthy, appropriate meals provided several times a day.

Our caregivers spend hours cleaning their enclosures daily and are rewarded with p**p in pools, eggs smeared on the walls, and raccoons peeing on them from above. Delightful.

08/28/2026

🦅 If you’ve ever booked a tour at MARS Wildlife Rescue, you’ve seen our huge flight pen. It’s the perfect housing for the final stage of recovery for eagle patients like these. In this speedy video, watch staff rehabilitator Kiersten catch up and perform a routine check on one of the juveniles.

We have four juvenile Bald Eagles in the flight pen now, all practicing their flight and agility. These birds were raised at MARS from either nestling, brancher, or fledgling stages so will stay in care with us until October. Why October, you might wonder?

In October, the salmon run will likely peak and food will be plentiful so these young eagles will have lots of 'real-world' hunting practice before winter sets in. While we can put dead donated fish in the pools in care, we have no way to 'live prey test' our eagles. We help them out by releasing them in ideal locations where other adult eagles are hunting, and they re-enforce these skills with their own kind.

There are many ways to support MARS, and if you live in BC, you can grab a raffle ticket—link on our pinned posts.

08/27/2026

Did you know Purple Martins are the largest swallow species found in North America? 💟

These aerial acrobats catch their food in flight, and not only that, they also drink on the wing. They have been observed swooping over the surface of ponds to scoop up water with their lower beaks.

Because of invasive species like European Starlings and House Sparrows which take over nest cavities, Purple Martins are almost solely reliant on human-made nest boxes. In BC, they are Blue-listed, meaning they are vulnerable and a species of conservation concern.

This patient was brought to MARS a few weeks ago after being found drowning in the Comox Marina. We are so grateful for the quick actions of the finder to rescue this bird and get it into us as fast as they did!

Want to support MARS? There is still time to get your raffle tickets! https://rafflebox.ca/raffle/mars/

Currently in care we have a Great Horned Owl patient. We suspect this owl was clipped by a car as they were found on the...
08/25/2026

Currently in care we have a Great Horned Owl patient. We suspect this owl was clipped by a car as they were found on the side of the road in Royston with a soft tissue injury to the right wing. In addition, they have several feathers missing from that wing which is impacting their flight. They will be with us hanging out in one of our flight pens until these feathers start to come in and their flight improves.

Did you know that the foot grip strength of a Great Horned Owl is the same as that of a Grey Wolf bite? Don't let the fluffy appearance fool you, these critters are deadly predators in their ecosystem. 🦉

08/24/2026

These Purple Martins are so sweet together. While they may have the occasional squabble (usually when hungry), they are thriving in each other's company! 🤝

Did you know Purple Martin parents will take their young on practice flights? On occasion, the parent can be seen 'chasing' the juvenile and screaming at it to scare it into flying. The juveniles still rely on their parents for food for the first few days during the freshly fledged training stage, occasionally breaking from flight to practice landings, begging for food, then practice take offs afterwards.

These long-distance migrants, found in BC during breeding season, have been monitored to travel as far south as southeastern Brazil during the winter! ☀️❄️

⚠️ Be calm. Be informed. Act wisely.Recently, a dead bat tested positive for rabies in Campbell River. This has led to s...
08/22/2026

⚠️ Be calm. Be informed. Act wisely.

Recently, a dead bat tested positive for rabies in Campbell River. This has led to some local alarm and misinformation about bats and the prevalence of disease.

While bat species in Canada can be carriers of rabies, not all bats carry rabies. In fact, in BC it is estimated that 0.5% of bats will carry the disease, according to the Community Bat Programs of BC. It is a rare but serious disease that can be transmitted to other animals, so precautions are important. We can protect ourselves and our pets while still supporting a creature that is so important to our ecosystems.

A bat on the ground is not necessarily a bat with rabies. It could be injured, orphaned, or exhausted. You can act to protect it, your pets, and yourself. If you must interact with a bat, wear gloves.

🦇 If you find an injured bat, call us at 250-337-2021 ext. 2 before attempting to interact with it or touch it in anyway. We have trained rescuers and rabies-vaccinated staff at MARS who are happy to advise and help where possible.

💊 Ensure your pets are up to date with their rabies vaccines and boosters.

🐈‍⬛ If your pet interacts with a bat, contact your local vet as soon as possible. If the bat is deceased, they may ask you to bring it in for testing when you bring your pet to them. If you need to interact with a bat, wear gloves.

🦷 If you are grazed or bitten by a bat, do not wait for symptoms: act straight away. Wash the contact site or wound for 15 minutes. Contact your doctor, call 8-1-1 in BC, or go to Emergency the same day.

If you come across an injured bat that is vulnerable to weather or predators, you can place a container over the top to cover it and keep it safe while you contact us for support.

Bats are a common patient at MARS. We care for and about them and want the public to appreciate and care about our night-time neighbours, too. 🦇

💔 Two weeks ago, our friends at Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society were devastated by the Summerland wildfires, a...
08/21/2026

💔 Two weeks ago, our friends at Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society were devastated by the Summerland wildfires, and tragically lost a large part of their facility, as well as their home. You might remember them as the center we transferred two otter pups to earlier this season. We are so thankful they were able to help our critters during their rehab journey, but now it’s time for us to help them. ❤️

We are devastated to hear the impacts of the fire had at IWRS and send our thoughts and condolences to all those affected by this tragedy. We were so thankful that everyone, people and animals, were able to evacuate safely. Anyone who works in wildlife rehab knows how important it is to have a safe space to give wildlife the best chance of survival, but right now, they have lost the use of parts of their facility from the damage.
To help them continue to care for critters, support their current situation, and rebuild their future, please consider donating today. Community support is imperative at a time like this. Please donate through Canada Helps (found on their webpage https://interiorwildlife.ca/donate/).

Tragically, the founders of IWRS also sustained damage to their home. If you wish to donate to Eva and Jonathan to help them recover, please do through their Go Fund Me page here: https://gofund.me/db9eca857

Everyone at MARS stands behind the work they do and are here to support in any way we can. Please consider donating to help them rebuild their legacy and to continue to help wildlife in the Interior. ❤️

Address

1331 Williams Beach Rd, P.O. Box 415, Merville, B.C. V0R 2M0
Merville, BC

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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