BARNSTABLE – Sixteen years after opening its doors to provide emergency care and wildlife rehabilitation, the Cape Wildlife Center is closing its doors next month.
The facility on Route 6A in Barnstable will officially close on November 18, according to the Humane Society of the United States, which operates the center.
“This is a three-quarters of a million dollar a year operation, we had to make very tough choices about where to put our resources,” said Michael Markarian, chief operating officer of the Humane Society of the United States.
The center will continue to accept animals until the end of next week and then will focus on rehabilitating and releasing the animal patients.
“We’re going to be open at the Cape Wildlife Center for the next month or so, we’re going to make sure we provide the best care for the remaining animal patients who are there and make sure they get rehabilitated and released,” said Markarian.
Staff at the center have focused on the healing of injured, ill or orphaned wildlife for eventual release, with turkeys squirrels and raccoons being treated recently at the center.
After the center closes next month, the only facilities that treat wildlife and marine animals are Wild Care in Eastham and the National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay.
The wildlife that the Center would have treated will now be referred to the New England Wildlife Center in South Weymouth.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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