Wildlife Rescue Center, Ballwin

Location: 1128 New Ballwin Road | Ballwin, MO 63021  (636) 394-1880

ANIMAL CARE
SEASONAL HOURS

April through October:
Monday-Sunday 9am-7pm

November through March:
Monday - Friday 9am-5pm
Saturday & Sunday 9am-3pm

Website: http://www.mowildlife.org/

The Wildlife Rescue Center treats over 2,500 wild animals every year. Most of the animals admitted for rehabilitation have been injured or orphaned by human activity. The Center is able to provide its services of rescue, rehabilitation, and release thanks to the support of our compassionate community. Through nature inspired education programs, the Center promotes environmental awareness and encourages the protection of our delicate ecosystems. I went there recently for their Spring Tails event. These were the highlights:

• Peek behind-the-scenes at the largest of a wildlife rehabilitation center in the St. Louis region
• Try your hand at crafts using garden-grown dyes and play games all about wild moms
• Take a photo with our one-of-a-kind, naturally-inspired Ambassador Cottontail
• Participate in a Natural Treasures Hunt on our trail and follow clues to amazing nature finds
• Have an up-close critter encounter with a professional pet rabbit and learn from volunteers and staff that care for orphaned and injured native wild animals
• Get the word on birds with educators from Wild Bird Rehabilitation
• Learn about proper care of ducks and chickens with the Longmeadow Rescue Ranch Barn Buddies

 The pet rabbit

 Gift Shop

 Getting ready to go on the audio tour of their hospital

 Follow the numbers on the floor as the audio tour takes you through the numbered stations

 Turtles!

 Baby squirrels

 A worker told us that squirrels are the meanest animals they treat. Even worse than raccoons and coyotes. Vicious!

This activity was fun and educational. They taught us how rabbits make nests. They dig a hole in the ground, fill it with fur, and put the babies in there and cover them up with grass. They kids enjoyed making nests for the fake baby rabbits.

 They had timed tours on the nature trail. The kids really enjoyed this activity. The employee had laminated cards hidden all along the trail next to wooden eggs. She would pull the card out and read the clue. The kids had to guess what the clue was about and then search for it along the trail.

 The kids soon figured out that the next clue was at the answer to the previous clue and started searching for the eggs cause some of the clues were hard! One of them was trying to find a groundhog burrow. One was finding a squirrel nest. One was finding coyote scat (ew!) We learned that their scat (poo) almost always has hair in it because they eat the entire animal. We had to find deer hoof marks and we learned that they spread out when they are running and are closer together when they are walking.

 We had to look for turtles in the lake

 Groundhog burrow

 Scat

 Kiefer Creek

 Nest

This place does birthday parties, camps, and special events in addition to their regular daily hours. I highly recommend giving them a visit!