Adopt one of our Ambassadors
When you adopt an Animal Ambassador for yourself, or as a gift for your family or friends, you invest directly into the life of that Wild One! You help supply food and veterinary care for a creature that was once injured or orphaned! You can make a difference to that Animal Being!
Little Bear,
The orphan black bear, RIP 2019
In the Lopez Lake Recreation Area, this bear cub was found wandering in the forest looking for food. Weighing only 15 pounds, when she should have weighed 50 pounds (thus named Little Bear), her mother had been killed. With a seriously injured upper lip, extensive surgery and intensive care was needed. Fish and Game decided that she could be human habituated during the healing process, and transferred her to Wildhaven Ranch in 2004. Little Bear will always be with us in heart and soul. She passed after 15 years of a special, very loved life. She was the first bear to paint “Bearcasso” works of art. Her paintings are priceless, as the life she shared with us was, and will ever be.
Waapake,
means “I see” in Algonquin language
In 2018 an orphan raccoon was hit by a vehicle and almost didn’t survive the trauma. He was in rehab for over 6 months. When Waapake was injured, his neurological system was badly damaged causing Central Nervous System issues. He had no ability to walk or move the lower parts of his body, including blindness in both eyes. His head sustained major concussion as well. Because he was such a young raccoon, the rehab center decided to work with him for an extended period of time with physical therapy and other medications. He did slowly regain use of his limbs, but the blindness was the only injury that could not be healed. He was offered online for adoption and Wildhaven decided to give him a new home and introduce him to our raccoon family. He flew in on Delta airlines from Michigan and we brought him to Forever Free Wildlife Center for isolation and training. He’s now happy living with Takoda, another orphan raccoon rescue. Pake is sweet and lovable, and is learning to “see” with his senses, and to trust his world of sound and touch.
Wiley,
The orphan coyote, RIP
In the spring of 2008, a litter of coyote pups the size of small rats, were found languishing at the mouth of a den, with no parents to be found. Rescued and brought to Wildhaven, all were bottle fed, but due to a canine disease, Parvo, all died but one. Adopted by our resident coyote, Wiley resisted the “wild” life, and chose to live with his new friends in safety at Wildhaven Ranch.
Bayley,
The Orphan Black Bear
Found on the side of Highway 18, near Baylis Park, in our San Bernardino Mountains, and hit by a car, this small cub sustained broken limbs, needing immediate surgery. David Boshoven, DVM of Arrowhead Animal Hospital rescued the cub, after much support from the community, including Cal-Trans, So Cal Edison, Citizen’s Patrol, and SB County Sheriff’s Deputies. This kind veterinarian operated on her, with the help of Bear Specialists from Animals Asia, performing extensive surgery, resulting in plates and pins in her hip. Due to her young age, and complex intensive care process, Bayley’s occupancy permit was given to Wildhaven Ranch by Fish and Wildlife.
Misha Tikva,
The orphan black bear
In 2008, near the Santa Ynez River, east of Solvang, in Northern California, a tiny 5 lbs bear was found screaming for her mother who had been poached nearby. Taking refuge up a tree in a local winery, and climbing from tree to tree for weeks, looking for her mother, Misha went down to 3 lbs in weight, nearly starving to death. Finally, she was rescued by ranch hands, and sent to a local wildlife rehabilitator. After recuperating, Misha Tikvah (meaning Hope in God) was deemed non-releasable by Fish and Wildlife, and sought out Wildhaven Ranch to adopt this bear cub for life.
Snickers,
The orphan black bear
Snickers was raised by a single mom who was having trouble making ends meet so she turned to a life of crime to support her children. She was break-ing and entering homes near Beaumont to get food for her children. The homeowner took offense to her methods and got a depredation permit to shoot her. When Snickers saw her mom die, she despaired of life, but, she soon found a new friend in Little Bear. However, in 2005, due to her upbringing, already too used to human food, smells and people in her surroundings, Snick was designated as non-releasable.
Dratini,
The Bald Eagle
Flying in on Alaska Airlines from Sitka, Alaska, a magnificent bald eagle was transferred to Curator Diane Dragotto Williams, through U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Rescued by The Alaska Raptor Center, in February of 2010, Dratini already had his white head, making him at least 5 years old. Finding metal on the badly injured left wing tip, the eagle underwent a partial wing amputation, resulting in Dratini designated as a non-releasable bird of prey. It’s not unusual for bald eagles to tangle with the wing props of small airplanes landing in Sitka, which may have caused his injury.
Takoda
means “friend to everyone” in Sioux language
In 2019 a very young orphan raccoon was found clinging to a tree in Running Springs, chortling and calling out to his family that was no more. He was so high this oak tree that we had to hire a wildlife rescuer to climb 100 ft to grab this scared, tiny, and starving little creature. After careful examination by our Veterinarian, it was determined that he had been exposed to Distemper which probably ended the lives of the rest of his raccoon siblings and mother. He alone barely survived, but at 3 pounds, was unable to be fed by a mother who would provide shelter in the forest, or protect him from predators, starvation or dehydration. Unable to be rehabilitated, Wildhaven Ranch rescued Takoda and he now has a new raccoon brother, Waapake, a blind raccoon, also an orphan.
Melody,
The American Kestrel
In 2005, captured by a larger hawk, while yet a fledgling, just learning to fly, this young bird of prey fought its predator off, losing an eye, but she managed to flee to safety. A local veterinarian worked on her injuries, but deemed her non-releasable due to her condition. She spent her healing time at Wildhaven Ranch, where she continued to live as an Animal Ambassador.
Stubby,
The Tail-less Raccoon, RIP
Raised on a farm in 2005, where he ate the rancher’s chickens, destroyed the garden and lived in the build-up, this young teen-age raccoon was seriously injured in a fight over a female coon. After falling 200 feet from a Pine tree, Stubby lost his tail, broke his leg, and Wildhaven got a big vet bill. He was designated non-releasable by the doctor due to the surgeries, and plates in his hip and leg. But he walks on a leash weekly, visiting Buck the Mule Deer, and loves playing in the water, and opening p-nut butter jars! He has a very sweet soul, and is timid and shy.
Xena,
The Golden Eagle
Still a brancher when she was found in Idaho in the year 2001, she had a badly damaged wing that never healed properly. Not able to fly long distances that a golden eagle is required to in order to hunt over large territories, Xena was designated non-releasable by a veterinar-ian looking for a permanent place for her. She was welcomed to her new home at Wildhaven Ranch in 2002.
