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Eagle, Swan, Hawk, Uncertain Days Ahead
A typical day at the MARS Wildlife hospital contains the poignant reminder that it does not always end well for our patients. Many arrive dead on arrival, others die in transit to and from the facility. Sadness and tears associated with poor outcomes are as common as...
How Much Does It Cost To Help MARS Wildlife
Operating the MARS Wildlife Rescue Centre is not easy or cheap. A Barn owl will eat as many as eight mice/day, an $8 food bill. A Tundra swan is tube fed a mixture of salad greens, cream corn and sweet potatoes as often as 10 times a day, a $50 bill. The Bald eagle’s...
Herring Test Fishery Nets Haul for MARS
The commercial herring roe fishery is a significant, fast paced event that has occurred off the coast of central Vancouver Island each spring for more than 40 years. “The Pacific coast herring are considered high quality and the roe is highly desired, especially in...
Important Press Release from MARS
There are at least three times a year (Canada Day, Halloween and New Year’s Eve) where we have accepted a practice of setting off fireworks as a form of celebration and entertainment. As with other practices such as the use of DDT and other contaminants,...
‘Stewart’
This is the eagle who shared the spotlight with helicopter pilot Norm Snihur on CHEK News last week. Rescued from beautiful Stewart Island, it seemed fitting to call him 'Stewart'. He has a broken bone in the upper left wing. The wing wrap will...
Chopper Pilot to the Eagle Rescue
On June 9 MARS needed some help to get an injured eagle to our facility and we called on a faithful volunteer to come to the rescue! CHEK News June 9, 2015 "Chopper pilot Norm Snihur has flown 1223 animal rescues Norm Snihur spent over five hours in the...
Merganser Predicament!
Lucky for this female Common Merganser, someone observed her falling into this upended culvert in Comox Lake! MARS was contacted and a rescue effort was put in motion. Thank you to the Cumberland Fire Department for assisting with their boat....
New Eagle at MARS
This eagle was discovered on a beach unable to fly, in a remote area on the west coast of Nootka Island, which is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Thank You to his rescuer Steve Wall, for not only capturing the bird but flying him...
What if You Dialed 911 and No One Answered?
What if you dialed 911 and no one answered? That’s the kind of scenario that the Comox Valley and many of our Northern neighbours are facing if Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society (MARS) doesn’t find a way to build a new wildlife treatment...
Uncommon Baby at MARS!
We never know what will come through the door during baby season but we don't often get these little guys. This is a baby mink! His eyes are not even open yet. This baby will likely be sent to another centre specializing in mammal rehab but for...