Documentary highlights the plight of BC’s wildlife with a behind-the-scenes look at the rehabilitation centre

Those who volunteer and work at Critter Care, a wildlife rehabilitation center in BC that has treated and released thousands of animals since its inception nearly four decades ago, are rarely the type to toot their own horn.

So it can be argued that a documentary highlighting the arduous efforts of the countless team members, interns and volunteers is long overdue.

A new short film from Critter Care, scheduled for November 13 on YouTube, provides behind-the-scenes access to the Langley-based center. Featuring interviews from several staff members and footage of some of the facility’s most beloved creatures, it delves into some of the center’s most moving rescue stories.

Critter Care’s Rod Janz said the film will highlight the “countless hours” team members spend caring for each animal. The film follows each creature closely, capturing everything from the moment the animals are brought in for treatment to their release into their natural habitat.

“I really hope people see the great work Critter Care does in caring for orphaned and injured animals and see them back in the wild,” he said.

Janz said he hopes the documentary sparks compassion among viewers, and not just for the typically cute creatures that pass through the center’s doors. bobcat kittens and baby browns, for example – but the less conventionally cute few that are often overlooked.

“Critter Care gives animals a second chance, and cares for some controversial animals that people wouldn’t necessarily give a second chance,” he said.

“Even some animals that are considered nuisances, like coyotes and squirrels, are very important to us and to the environment. It is incredibly important that we take care of all these different species and not lose them.”

In addition to headline-grabbing patients like big cats and bears, Critter Care is often a home to raccoons, skunks, deer, river otters, rabbits and opposums. Of the animals currently being cared for at the shelter, Janz says the documentary pays special attention to a “beautiful bobcat” named Tucker, a young rescued bear, a group of mischievous raccoons, lively otters and rescued deer.

The diverse group consists of a number of “real characters,” Janz said, some of whom have enough star quality and deserve their own documentary.

Janz said the list of subjects in the film represents just a fraction of the more than 3,000 animals treated at the facility each year, a number that is rising at an alarming rate as wildlife across the province continues to grapple with increasing threats.

“All these animals having to come into our care just shows the condition of the environment they live in, especially in our urban and suburban areas where we are losing so much of their habitat,” he said.

“We hope viewers can understand the plight of these animals and experience this journey with us.”