Lack of funding forcing closure of Ontario wildlife rehabilitation hospital [Video]

With funds drying up, leading to an “overwhelming” strain on staff and resources Durham Region’s only wildlife rehabilitation hospital is closing its doors for the season.

Soper Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation and Outdoor Education Centre made the “incredibly difficult decision” to close the hospital for at least the rest of the 2025 season in a social media post Tuesday.

After deep reflection and many heartfelt discussions, our team has made the “incredibly difficult decision” to close the hospital for at least the rest of the 2025 season.

Soper Creek, which opened in April 2017 in rural Clarington, north of Bowmanville, by Stefanie MacEwan, one of just 70 provincially licensed wildlife rehabilitators in Ontario, has been struggling financially since the pandemic – a situation not helped by a renovation dispute two years ago that cost them nearly $100,000 – because of a lack of funding for her centre.

Wildlife rehabilitation in Ontario …