The center also serves over 25,000 individuals each year with its live bird education programs at MT WILD’s education center. This includes the nationally recognized Wildlife Therapy Veteran Program with the Veteran’s Administration that has served over 1,000 veterans recovering from PTSD and substance use disorders. Montana WILD’s staff and volunteers, and FWP’s wildlife biologists and wardens play an integral role in rehabbing wildlife by responding to wildlife calls, transporting injured and orphaned wildlife, and assisting with the release of animals back into the wild.
The mission of the Wildlife Center is:
Rehabilitate certain wildlife species for release back into the wild.
Educate the public on the important role that habitat plays in maintaining healthy wildlife populations and how the public can protect and provide healthy habitat for wildlife.
Educate the public on how to be stewards for wildlife and reduce human and wildlife conflict.
Provide quality care and housing that meets or surpasses the minimum standards for wildlife rehabilitation and animals in captivity.
Provide a safe environment for FWP staff, volunteers, and the public.
The MT WILD Wildlife Center may accept these species for temporary holding or rehabilitation and permanent placement in an FWP approved facility. FWP approved facilities are facilities accredited by the American Zoological Association and/or facilities approved by the FWP Wildlife and Enforcement Division.
Black bears & grizzly bears <12 months old
Cats <5 months old (lynx, bobcat, mountain lion)
Wild birds
Beaver
Porcupine
Mustelids (weasels, badgers, wolverine, mink, martens)
The Wildlife Center will NOT accept the following species at any location, under any circumstances, due to risks related to disease, public health and welfare, likelihood of habituation, and/or lack of operational resources.
Ungulates-hooved animals (deer, elk, moose, mountain goats, big horn sheep, bison pronghorn antelope)
Rabies Vectors (bats, fox, raccoon, skunk)
Wolves, coyotes
Montana WILD Wildlife Center
The Wildlife Center is closed to the public to minimize stress on the wildlife we care for and prevent them from becoming habituated (used to people). To learn more about what we do at the Wildlife Center and how many organizations have been instrumental in supporting the center, watch this video.
