Greenwood Wildlife sets new record for animal care
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A baby squirrel at Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in 2015. Photo: Lewis Geyer/Digital First Media/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images
Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in north Boulder County has shattered its previous annual record for animal intake with two months still left in 2025.
Why it matters: With few wildlife rehab options in Colorado, Greenwood has become one of the only places animals can turn for care and recovery.
Driving the news: Greenwood Wildlife had cared for 5,121 animals as of Nov. 5, easily shattering the previous annual high for the facility of 4,641.
State of play: Mysti Tatro, Greenwood's community relations manager, told Axios Boulder that the spike stems in part from other facilities on the Front Range have been closing or taking fewer animals.
- Greenwood Wildlife officials say it's now the only facility treating birds, waterfowl and mammals on the Front Range from Pueblo to the Wyoming border.
- "There is a dramatic and growing need for professional wildlife care in our state," Tatro said.
Between the lines: Colorado's urban expansion is increasing the wildland-urban interface and leading to more human-wildlife encounters, including vehicle collisions.
Yes, but: Wildlife rehab resources have not matched that growth. In a 2017 bill, the General Assembly noted that "little public or private funding or formal support exists to finance wildlife rehabilitation."
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) reported only $162,484 in grants between 2018 and 2024.
- KOAA found a decrease in licensed rehabilitators statewide between 2009 and 2021, when CPW tightened regulations governing rehabilitation.
Zoom in: While many wildlife facilities have scaled back, Greenwood has expanded its outdoor enclosure space and added a lagomorph building for rabbits and hares.
- Tatro added that volunteers have been putting in extra shifts and Greenwood has upped its own fundraising efforts to meet the heightened demand.
- Greenwood's next big fundraising event is Colorado Gives Day on Dec. 9.
What they're saying: "I am incredibly proud of our team and supporters for meeting this surge head-on," said Amanda Lau, executive director at Greenwood. "It is genuinely heartwarming to see our community rally to ensure every one of these creatures gets the top-notch treatment they deserve."