Hughson’s Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center celebrates baby season

You’re invited to a wild baby shower this weekend.

The Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center, which opened in 1984, will have its annual Baby Animal Shower on Saturday. The event is timed each year to coincide with springtime, when wild animals are more likely to have babies that end up needing help. Each year, the care center staff and volunteers help more than 2,000 injured and orphaned animals.

“Spring is just starting, and we have already admitted dozens of baby songbirds, squirrels, coyotes, opossums, hawks and owls,” Donna Burt, director of the nonprofit organization, said in an email. “Every day, more and more animals come in.”

Visitors can see some animal ambassadors, animals that can’t be released back into the wild and now make their home at the center. Among them are Hopper the raven, Poe the crow, Jet the American kestrel, Carson the red-tailed hawk, and Titus the great horned owl.

The event will include games, cookies and punch, face painting, and crafts for children. Shirts will be available for purchase. There is no admission charge, but gifts of one of the following are suggested: paper towels, postage stamps, receiving blankets, bleach, heating pads, 13-gallon trash bags, Dawn dishwashing liquid, small and medium dishwashing gloves or liquid laundry soap. The center also can always use money and new volunteers.

The Baby Animal Shower will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the wildlife center at the Fox Grove Fishing Access, 1220 Geer Road. For more information, go to StanislausWildlife.org.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Hughson’s Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center celebrates baby season."