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Monday 8am - 4pm Tuesday 8am - 4pm Wednesday 8am - 4pm Thursday 8am - 4pm Friday 8am - 4pm Saturday 8am - 4pm Sunday 8am - 4pm

Wildlife Center of Long Island

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Huntington, NY
Wildlife Center of Long Island

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WCLI is a fully staffed wildlife rehabilitation and education center established in 1982. Our hospital admits over 2,300 injured & orphaned animals each year.

Wildlife Center of Long Island (formerly Volunteers for WIldlife) is a non-profit wildlife hospital & education center located in Huntington, NY. Please call 516-674-0982 or email [email protected] for assistance.

11/01/2026

This Great Blue Heron arrived at our hospital last week with fishing line wrapped around its right wing and both legs. The line was tightly caught around the wing, twisting and damaging the feathers. The outer portion of the wing was swollen and abraded, and our rehabilitators were initially concerned about the integrity of the feathers.

After just a few days in our care, we were delighted to see that the heron had preened its feathers back into tip-top shape! Only one feather was permanently damaged; the rest had returned to normal. Once the soft-tissue injury healed, the heron was ready for release.

Yesterday, this extraordinary bird returned home to Amityville with a second chance!

10/30/2026

Imagine you’re a tiny Brown Creeper, climbing up a tree in search of insects hidden in the bark. Then your feet meet something sticky. In an instant, your feet, belly, wings, and even your face are caught. You can’t move or free yourself. You’re completely helpless and frightened.

That’s what happened to one of our recent patients, who became stuck to lanternfly tape wrapped around a tree. Our rehabilitation staff carefully freed the bird and used a medical adhesive remover to clear residue from its feathers.

Fortunately, the creeper wasn’t injured. After some rest and a good meal, it was ready to return to the wild the very next day—with the sticky tape removed from its home.

Please don’t use sticky traps. They cause immense suffering for any animal that gets caught. If you find an animal stuck to one, cover any exposed sticky surface with tissue and place the animal, still attached to the trap, in a secure box. Please have a licensed wildlife professional remove it and assess whether it needs further care.

10/24/2026

A good ending for this Great Horned Owl 🦉

Early Thursday morning, the Huntington Parks Department called our hotline after a Good Samaritan found a Great Horned Owl entangled in a soccer net. The finder and Parks Department staff stayed with the bird until our team arrived.

Athletic fields can be attractive hunting grounds for owls because rodents and other prey are often found in the surrounding grass. While flying low in pursuit of prey at night, an owl may not see netting until it’s too late.

Because owls are nocturnal, an entangled bird can remain trapped for several hours before anyone notices. These incidents can cause severe feather damage, soft tissue injuries, bone fractures or dislocations, and even strangulation as the animal struggles to escape.

Our rehabilitators carefully cut the netting to free the owl, while securely holding the bird to make sure it did not fly away. Examination back at our hospital showed this owl was fortunately not seriously injured. After a night of pain meds, rehydration, food, and rest, the owl was released the following evening!

Please help protect wildlife by rolling up or putting away soccer goals and other sports netting whenever they are not in use!

Our wildlife patients need towels, sheets, and fleece! 🦉If you have items to donate, please email info@wildlifecenterli....

10/16/2026

Our wildlife patients need towels, sheets, and fleece! 🦉

If you have items to donate, please email [email protected] or call 516-674-0982 to coordinate a drop-off at our office in Centerport. We’re open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Thank you for your support! 💕

10/14/2026

A simple rolled towel or pillowcase can make a big difference for a wildlife patient who can’t stay upright.

Wildlife rehabilitators often shape these soft supports into a “doughnut” to help patients with head or spinal injuries rest in a stable, comfortable position while they recover.

This Northern Flicker came to us after colliding with a window in East Rockaway. After treatment for spinal trauma and about three weeks of care, this bird was released back home yesterday!

10/08/2026

In a matter of seconds, he’s back home! Red-tailed Hawks often hunt along wooded edges and in open areas, looking for prey like squirrels, rabbits, and other small rodents. We wish this patient well as he returns to his life in the wild with a second chance!

10/07/2026

This juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was struck by a car in Huntington last month and arrived at our hospital with a concussion and a wound to his upper neck. After our rehabilitators stabilized the hawk, it was taken to Animal General of East Norwich, where Dr. Allar and their team sutured the wound and took radiographs. Thankfully, the x-rays showed no fractures.

The hawk then spent 17 days in our care, receiving pain medication, antibiotics, and supportive care as it recovered. Once fully healed, the hawk was released back into the wild near where it was found!

We’re so glad this young hawk is back where he belongs and now has a second chance. Check back tomorrow evening for video of the hawk’s release!

10/03/2026

Our favorite day of the year is tomorrow! Our Annual Wildlife Walk is our biggest event and helps to support the important work we do all year long! Join us Sunday for wildlife programs, lots of learning and fun for all! Get your tickets on our website: wildlifecenterli.org

09/25/2026

Summer may be over, but our nursery is still full of babies who need care—including these young opossums. They came to us after their mom was killed by a dog, and our team is now raising them at the Center.

Will you help us care for them? The supplies we need most right now for our baby animals are formula, cat food, walnuts, puppy pads, & paper towels. Every donation helps keep little patients fed, clean, and comfortable.

Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/ZY513QD3LBM3?ref_=wl_share

09/21/2026

⚠️ GRAPHIC IMAGES

Today, this American Oystercatcher was rescued in Point Lookout after becoming entangled in fishing line and a large lure equipped with multiple treble hooks. The hooks punctured his wing, causing extensive tissue damage and significant blood loss.

Our rehabilitators carefully removed the lure and embedded hooks and are now working to control his pain, treat his wounds and stabilize him. He remains in critical condition.

This bird’s bands tell us part of his story: he hatched in 2022 in the Rockaway Beach area. The coastal habitats stretching from Jamaica Bay and the Rockaways to Point Lookout provide important nesting and feeding grounds for American Oystercatchers and many other shorebirds. During the spring & summer, breeding pairs return to these beaches and marshes to raise their young.

Long Island’s coastlines are beautiful—but they can also be dangerous for wildlife when fishing line, hooks and lures are left behind. Monofilament line is nearly invisible, does not readily break down and can entangle birds around their wings, legs and necks. Hooks and multi-pronged lures can cause devastating puncture wounds like the ones seen here.

These images are difficult to look at, but this is the reality wildlife rehabilitators see far too often. Discarded fishing gear does not have to be intentional to be deadly.

Please help protect coastal wildlife:

• Collect every piece of fishing line, hook and lure before leaving
• Never leave tangled line on the beach, dock or shoreline
• Use designated fishing-line recycling containers whenever available
• Pick up discarded gear when it is safe to do so
• If you encounter entangled wildlife, keep the animal in sight and immediately contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator—never pull on an embedded hook or line

We are doing everything we can for this beautiful bird. Please keep him in your thoughts. ❤️‍🩹

Address

Huntington, NY
11743

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4pm
Tuesday	8am - 4pm
Wednesday	8am - 4pm
Thursday	8am - 4pm
Friday	8am - 4pm
Saturday	8am - 4pm
Sunday	8am - 4pm

Website

http://www.wildlifecenterli.org/

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