New Mexico Wildlife Center

Established in 1986 New Mexico Wildlife Center (NMWC) is a 501c3 nonprofit with a mission to connect people and wildlife for an abundant tomorrow. We accomplish this through conservation education and rehabilitation. We believe that a world with wildlife is a better world. NMWC accomplishes its mission through two major operations a wildlife hospital and wildlife conservation education. NMWC’s wildlife hospital admits 800-1,000 wild animal patients annually representing over 130 species. Our staff veterinarian and three professional wildlife rehabilitators work toward the goals of recovery, rehabilitation, and release back into the wild. Common wildlife injuries our staff treat include impact with cars, windows, and fences; poisonings; gunshot wounds; cat or dog attacks; and orphaning of young through a variety of habitat disturbances or human interference. An important part of our work is treating New Mexico’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). From 2006 through 2022 we cared for nearly 800 animals representing over 25 SGCN species. The majority of our animal patients are brought to us by the general public. NMWC’s education presentations are designed to engage, inform, and empower a broad range of audiences including K-12 students, special needs populations, senior citizens, members of under served communities and the general public. These programs are conducted at our facility and off-site at a variety of venues including schools, community events, libraries, museums, churches, civic clubs, and businesses. Assisting our education staff are over thirty non-releasable Ambassador Animals all of which are native New Mexican species. Our Animal Encounter programs offer participants the singular opportunity to see native wildlife up-close, increasing the impact of a narrative focused on natural history, adaptations, biology, habitats and conservation. Through this experiential learning the audience becomes aware of ways to reduce negative human impacts and increase positive actions benefiting wildlife. Approximately 7,000 people annually visit the Center or otherwise take part in our education programming. A few accomplishments related to our hospital operation include a successful release rate of over 60 percent of animal patient intakes, adding a full-time staff veterinarian, entering into a Memorandum of Agreement with Santa Fe County for use of the county’s open space lands as wildlife release sites. Our education program has added a second Animal Encounter education area which significantly improves our ability to provide programming to large visitor groups such as multiple classes from elementary schools. A portion of the wildlife education walkway was paved creating an ADA compliant path allowing visitors with mobility impairments to access outdoor education facilities including the Flight Arena, Native Plant Garden, Native Cactus garden and picnic pavilion. Our collaborative Caring Kids: Wings & Paws program begun in 2018 with the Santa Fe Animal Shelter enters its sixth year of bringing compassion-based wild and domestic animal education to 4th grade classrooms in Santa Fe and surrounding areas. Through another collaborative venture, with New Mexico State Parks, NMWC is bringing its Animal Encounter programs to park visitors across the state.