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Three young deer that had been cared for at Wolf Hollow since early summer were released on November 24th. When they arrived at the rehab center in May, they were tiny, spotted fawns that had been orphaned or separated from their mothers. Over the summer and fall they grew into strong, healthy young deer that are now ready for life in the wild.

When we opened the door of the transport trailer, they cautiously emerged, took a few moments to look around, then gradually moved off into the trees.

Our final (we hope!) seal of the year was released back into the wild on October 27^th. She was a late season surprise when she was brought to Wolf Hollow in early September. People who live near Eagle Cove on San Juan Island heard a pup crying on the shore and found this youngster tangled in fishing line, with a large hook imbedded in her front flipper. The San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network brought her to Wolf Hollow where we were able to remove the hook and treat other wounds on her nose, chest and tail. Although she was thin, Edison was alert, feisty and had a nice set of sharp teeth, so it didn’t take her long to work out how to eat fish on her own. After only 6 weeks of care she had grown from a skinny 19-pound pup to a fat, healthy 51-pound seal.

When the transport carrier was opened she took a few minutes to look around then swam out across the bay.

Thanks to all of you, Wolf Hollow was able to meet, then surpass, our fundraising goal with the San Juan Island Community Foundation Virtual Grant Program during the County Fair.

As of today, the Salish Sea Harbor seal pups will receive $15,220 due to your generous support. We are all truly humbled and grateful to all of you who contributed during this virtual opportunity and to everyone who has supported us along the way. The monetary support, in kind donations or your volunteer effort are all deeply appreciated.

The funds raised come just in time to purchase more fish, cover the doubled electricity bill and the veterinarian costs. A huge thank you to San Juan Island Community Foundation for developing this  special opportunity for the community to come together to support nonprofits. Wolf Hollow is honored to be among such wonderful organizations helping people and animals.

We thank you again and again for supporting this life saving work!

Chanda Stone Executive Director
Shona Aitken Education Coordinator
Penny Harner Wildlife Rehabilitator
Abby Fuhriman Wildlife Rehabilitator
Marc Brown President – Board of Directors
Susan Waters Vice President – Board of Directors
Bex Bishop Secretary – Board of Directors
Chris Minney Board of Directors
Cindy Hansen Board of Directors
Sarah Boden Board of Directors
Albert Barsocchini Board of Directors

Thank You!

Have you ever seen a Bald Eagle that looks like this?  In our 36 years of operation, we had never seen one with such pale cream/brown body and wing feathers.  A bird like this is described as Leucistic. The pale coloration is a result of partial loss of pigmentation in the feathers. Its eyes and feet are the normal color, but the feathers are very pale.

This eagle was seen sitting on the ground in a field in Skagit County. One of our Animal Transport Volunteers was able to capture it and send it over to Wolf Hollow. In addition to its unusual color, there were other mysteries about the bird. It had a bulging crop, so it had just eaten an enormous meal, the feathers on its underside were matted and oily with what smelled like fryer oil, and it had swelling around one elbow. What had it been up to?

Luckily the wing injury was minor, so after a day to digest its meal we gave it a bath to clean the oily feathers and were able to move it into an outdoor enclosure. It quickly progressed to flying further and up to higher perches, so after just 6 days in care, the eagle was sent back for release. I’m sure many people were glad to see this distinctive bird back in its home area again.

Our first Harbor Seal pup of 2020 arrived at Wolf Hollow on May 31^st. This is 3-4 weeks earlier than we usually see seal pups at the rehab center, because she came from Ocean Shores on the Olympic Peninsula where pupping season is earlier than it is around the San Juans.

She was seen alone for several days, and over the busy Memorial Day weekend, was constantly harassed by people trying to take photos or get her back into the water. A Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist rescued the pup and took her to a vet clinic for initial care. When she arrived at Wolf Hollow, we discovered that she was emaciated (only weighed 14 pounds), dehydrated, had wounds on her flippers and had an umbilical infection, but she was active and had a very loud voice.

She started off in our seal nursery, being fed a special high-fat formula while she regained her strength, but has now progressed to swimming in a pool and learning to eat fish. Our naming theme this year is scientists, so she was named Fossey, after Dian Fossey, the American primatologist famous for her valium research on Mountain Gorillas.