Storm damages buildings, brings rare bird to Hope for Wildlife

Hope For Wildlife suffers storm damage Hope For Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre begins repairs after suffering storm damage to several buildings.

A recent storm damaged several buildings at Nova Scotia’s Hope for Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, but it also brought in a rare visitor.

Only two rough-legged hawks have been brought to the facility in Seaforth, N.S. in 20 years.

“He’s still at that stage where he’s begging a lot. We’re quite surprised at his temperament, how calm he is around people,” says rehabilitator Hope Swinamer. “Doctors have examined him, can’t find anything terribly wrong.”

The bird was found unable to fly after last week’s storm. The centre says he needs to gain some weight and practice flying before he can be released.

But the same storm also did some damage to buildings and broke off wooden poles holding up the fence to the deer enclosure.

“She probably has 20 or 30 buildings on site, and a lot of the shingles have been coming off, so there has been water getting into some of the rooms and things like that,” says contractor Mike Coakley.

Volunteers arrived Tuesday afternoon to begin demolition work, which has to be completed before replacement and repairs can begin.

“It also affected half of our flight cage. We’re very lucky that no animals were hurt or escaped; came very close to losing two of our bald eagle patients,” says Swinamer.

Thanks to donations and discounts, the new construction will use better materials, but the centre still needs donated labour.

“Anytime this week really, I welcome people to come and I’ll help them,” says Coakley.

The centre estimates it will cost tens of thousands of dollars to make the necessary repairs.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Ron Shaw