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STAMFORD, Conn. Is not quite a zoo, but people will be able to learn about and meet animals when a wildlife rehabilitation center opens its doors on the Stamford-Greenwich border.
Helping people learn about wild animals and learn to live with them is one of the missions of the Wildlife Center of Fairfield County, which announced Monday that it will be moving into Mianus River Park. Its other mission is to care for injured and sick wild animals.
We cause these problems and there is no public mechanism to help them, said Cathie Kovacs, a co-founder of the organization and a Connecticut wildlife custodian. About 80 percent of the injuries to wild animals she has treated are related to some form of human interaction, she said.
Weve seem to have forgotten whats normal and what isnt, said Heather Bernatchez, the other co-founder of the organization.
The center will care for all wildlife native to Connecticut except those the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection deems dangerous, Kovacs said. The list includes adult deer, coyotes and bears.
The Wildlife Center will be located in the park's Red Barn on Merriebrook Lane in Stamford. It will have an education room along with several care rooms with one-sided glass so visitors can view medical procedures. The center will be staffed 24/7 and provide advice if needed.
The group also plans to visit schools and host field trips to teach children about animal safety, Bernatchez said.
Stamford will renovate the barn to make sure basic amenities are operational. The Wildlife Center will need to raise $4 million before it can be fully operational. Bernatchez said she hopes to open within the next two years but would open tomorrow if possible.
To donate to the Wildlife Center, visit its website or contact Bernatchez at HBernatchez@fairfieldcountywildlife.org.
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