The Rock Wildlife Rescue

05/28/2026

Its that time of year again - its not just song birds nesting!
Gulls have been working on their nests too!
❗️GULLS ARE FEDERALLY PROTECTED UNDER THE MIGRATORY BIRD ACT❗️
The scoop on what you CAN and CANT do when it comes to Gull nests.
✅Best option ** leave it be and learn to co-exist with our Urban Wildlife.
✅IF there are no eggs in the nest - you CAN legally remove it.
❌IF there are eggs in the nest you can NOT interfere with the nest - you must contact Environment Canada Permitting office to apply for a permit to remove it.
❌IF the eggs have hatched and chicks are in the nest - You can NOT interfere with the nest, adults or chicks. (The likelihood of being issued a permit for removal are slim to none at this point!)
Ya missed the window !

TIPS : If you have to work in an area where a gull nest is located
▶️Keep as much distance as possible from the nest
▶️Use a heavy umbrella to cover your head so they cant make contact (we do this all the time when rescuing injured babies)
▶️Wear a hard hat
▶️Work in pairs so one person can keep an eye on protective parents and hold up a barrier
▶️Erect a tent to work under.
▶️ DO NOT chase them away from their nests or throw things at them - this is harassment of wildlife and is illegal !

Keep in mind these birds are not crazy ! They are fiercely protective of their babies and are being good parents. We are perceived as a threat (and for good reason, considering what we do to gulls and their nests!) We live in a coastal area and these gulls have adapted to sharing space with us. They aren't going anywhere !
The time for action is BEFORE eggs are laid.

** NOTE The Rock Wildlife Rescue does not remove nests.

05/26/2026

Right now at The Rock Wildlife Rescue, we are caring for six young squirrels.

Five are siblings who arrived with their eyes still closed after losing their mother — tiny babies who are completely dependent on us for warmth, feeding, and survival.

The sixth little Red Squirrel is what us rehabbers often call a “pant hugger.”
This is a juvenile squirrel who has become separated from its family, often after a predator attack or something happening to the mother — and ends up dehydrated, hungry, frightened, and alone. In desperation, they will sometimes climb up a person’s pant leg looking for safety and help.

This little female squirrel was the same age as our five orphans, and after quarantine, she has now been introduced to the group so she can thrive alongside them.

We are deeply grateful to every person who stops, cares, and makes sure these animals get safely to us. But rescue is only the beginning.

Caring for wildlife like this means:
• Feeding formula by syringe with tiny silicone ni***es every three hours, day and night
• Cleaning and maintaining enclosures
• Providing heating pads, fleece bedding, rodent blocks, syringes, formula, and medical supplies
• Building proper habitats and enrichment spaces that prepare them for eventual release back into the wild where they belong

And squirrels are only one of the many species currently in our care.

This is why we’ve been asking for your help.

We urgently need support to continue providing care for injured and orphaned wildlife — and to ensure there is always someone here when an animal needs us most.

You can support us by e-transfer at:
[email protected]

Or donate through CanadaHelps: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/id/121145/impact/view

05/19/2026

Every spring, the calls start.

A baby squirrel crying for its mother who never came back.
A nest of tiny, silent birds waiting for parents who won’t return.
A hare struck by a car, still breathing, still fighting.
A seabird tangled, starving, struggling to survive.
A pigeon hurt by deliberate cruelty — terrified, trembling, alone.

And for years, 365 days a year, we have opened our doors.
Because we are the only wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center in Newfoundland. Because if we don’t help them… no one will.

But today, something has happened that we never imagined.

We have already had to pause intake — and this pause may become indefinite.

Our volunteers are exhausted. They work full time jobs to pay their own bills, then come here to save lives. Our Vet Med and conservation students desperately need paid work terms to stay in school. We’ve applied for government summer job grants, but there are no updates, no timelines, no answers — and baby season is already here.

Right now, animals are being found.
Right now, calls are coming in.
Right now, we are having to say the words we never wanted to say:
“We can’t take them.”

Without funding to hire two experienced rehabbers, we cannot reopen intake.
Without support, The Rock Wildlife Rescue will not survive this season.
This is not a distant worry. This is happening now.
If you are a business, a sponsor, or an individual who can help fund even one position, you could be the reason we reopen our doors — the reason this province does not lose its only wildlife rescue —
the reason countless animals get a second chance at life.
Please share.
Please reach out.
Newfoundland’s injured and orphaned wildlife have nowhere else to go.

Donations can be made via EMT to [email protected]
or Canada Helps https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/the-rock-wildlife-rescue/

05/16/2026

UPDATE :
ACCEPTING INTAKES ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS *

It breaks our hearts to make this announcement but right now we must close for new intakes💔.
We are short handed and simply do not have enough of us here at the rescue to care for the number of animals coming in.

❗️ Unless it is a case that clearly requires euthanasia (these can be brought in to us)

We cannot take on any additional animals right now.
Thank you for your understanding and patience during this time.

A follow up announcement will be made the afternoon of Monday May 18th.

05/07/2026

When you see a flock of any bird species- take a moment to focus on just one Individual..
Watch how they move, the colour & pattern of their feathers, the unique features that they have adapted to survive .
Once you truly see them as individuals— you’ll never look at them quite the same way again ♥️

05/05/2026

On Red Dress Day, we honour the lives stolen and the voices silenced, carrying their stories forward with truth and remembrance. May every red dress be a call to justice, a promise that they are not forgotten, and a commitment to protect those still here.

04/27/2026

Very big thank you to each and every one of our volunteers ♥️⭐️ The amazing people who give their time and compassion here at the rescue feeding and caring for the animals, the Transport Volunteers running all over the city retrieving animals in need, the people who call us bringing in animals you’ve found who need help, those who fundraise or help us in any other capacity..
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts ♥️♥️♥️
The Rock Wildlife Rescue could not do what we do without volunteers !!

04/25/2026

Please be careful and keep an eye out on roads that are near ponds and streams🙏Many adult ducks are leaving the ponds to look for nesting areas which are often near ditches longer grass, gravel areas, even planters .
We had already lost 3 to vehicle strikes this week 😞
We Realize it’s not always preventable, but if we slow down and avoid distractions we can certainly reduce the number being hit 🦆🦆🦆

04/23/2026

The Rescue was encased in ice this morning!
The hardware fabric on the Pigeon Coop looked like frosted glass!
Not a lot of activity by the wild birds on the property …it appears, they do not appreciate the ice covered branches of the trees..

04/15/2026

https://vocm.com/2026/04/11/296366/

Harry the swan, a long time resident of Mundy Pond and the last of the capital city's municipal swans, is repo...