Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah

06/19/2026

Thistle was picked up on Tuesday by Hogle Zoo staff and is now settling into her new forever home.

Photo of her while being cared for by a WRCNU Staff member and one of her "ride" to SLC. 🥲🤗

Of course, there are here at the Center, but that is the life of a rehabber; the animals are not meant to stay with us, no matter how much we become attached, and if they can't be set free, then a good/licensed forever home is the next best thing.

She is in good hands and hopefully Utah's Hogle Zoo visitors will be able to see her in the next few months. 🥰

06/11/2026

The first two Tree Squirrel pups are weaned, on solid foods, and will now spend a couple of weeks outside in their much larger enclosure getting ready for their eventual release.

Here, they will get accustomed to the sounds and feelings of the outdoors in a safe environment.

They will learn to use their "gut" instincts to use raw materials for nesting, dig in the soil, jump and climb, lie in the sun, etc., all the things that squirrels need to be good at before they enter the wide open world.

WRCNU.ORG

06/05/2026

First things first … NO, as cute as she is, a Bobcat is NOT a good (or legal) “pet”. 😾

But for you cat lovers out there 😻, meet “Thistle”, a 5-1/2 week old Bobcat kitten.

Thistle’s mom gave birth to three kittens in someone’s window well. But shortly after, mom must have realized there was too much activity in the area and decided to move.

For unknown reasons, she took two of the kits, but did not return for the third.

Thistle was brought to us almost four weeks ago, and because of her situation, she will not be able to be released back into the wild. 🥲

It was decided by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources that she would eventually go to Utah's Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City.

Her move from WRCNU to Hogle will be in a couple of weeks after she is fully weaned and ready. 😺

WRCNU.ORG

05/29/2026

Our Spring Newsletter, yes, it's still "Spring", barely 😬, has been mailed.

For those of you who don't receive it, below is the link to download a copy.

In this edition, meet Aretha, the Great Horned Foster Mom, and read the story of Ralphie on his way to his forever home at SLC's Tracy Aviary!

More on the Harrisville Property & our Annual Thank You 🥰 to our Monthly Sustainers and Foundations Donors.

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/c49c9d88-667c-4416-b69f-00fefe75795c/downloads/f8ae221d-36b7-4861-a256-473a56a91982/Spring%20Newsletter%202026%20Final%20Draft.pdf?ver=1780084912150

05/25/2026

The floodgates are open, and the Center is filling up with wildlife patients; typical for this time of year.
Here is a small sample of the more recent rescues from across Northern Utah.

Please remember, we receive ZERO funding from the State or Federal Government; all our funding comes from the public (you) and a few generous foundations.

Food and medical supplies are expensive, so if you are able, please consider a donation to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah.

Our website donation page is located at WRCNU.org/donate, and it has lots of ways to support our mission.

Thank you!

❤️ ❤️ ❤️

05/12/2026

"... it can be harmful to feed injured and orphaned wildlife (unless you are a trained wildlife rehabilitator). But what about wildlife that isn't orphaned or injured? Why is it so important to allow wildlife to fend for itself instead of offering food?

It's because feeding wild animals puts them in danger❗

🦌 Feeding teaches wild animals to approach or be less cautious around people. Approaching the wrong person can get an animal hurt, and sometimes animals can become very insistent when they expect food that isn't appearing.

🐞 Usually the foods we offer aren't part of the animal's natural diet, and can be unhealthy. Bread, corn, and peanuts are the top offenders, but human foods and commercially available animal feeds are not the same nutritionally as the food animals get from the wild.

🏞️ Feeding stations bring lots of animals in close contact with one another, which increases the spread of disease, degradation of the surrounding habitat, and sets animals up to be easy prey for predators. Over time, feeding can cause a population to grow beyond what the area can naturally support, which causes further imbalances in the ecosystem.

Wild animals do need our help - they need protection, habitat, and strong, biodiverse ecosystems!

There are lots of ways to offer help! You could plant native plants 🌾, let leaves 🍂 stay in your yard, avoid pesticides 🐝, keep pets indoors or on leashes 🐈, avoid yardwork or pruning during nesting season 🌳, and so many other options!

So let's skip the handouts and help wild animals thrive on their own! 🦉"

05/04/2026

If you care about the future, the future for our grandchildren, the future of one of the MOST critical migratory bird habitats on Earth, then we highly encourage you to attend. Numbers matter.

We are asking for transparency and to slow down this process with actual processes that will bring to light the claims being made by the developer.

Prove the claims, don't just ask us to accept them. This is a non-revocable decision once it's made, so slow down and let's do this right.

Doors open at 3:30 PM, Meeting starts at 4:00 PM

04/27/2026

The next meeting to vote on the project was scheduled for next Monday, May 4, at 4 p.m. at the Box Elder County Fairgrounds Fine Arts Building to accommodate the crowd. The larger venue was chosen after some 80 people packed the commission chamber Monday, spilling out into the hallway.

About 80 people, some carrying signs reading “Where’s the research,” “People before profits” and “Say no to data center,” have packed a Monday morning meeting of the Box Elder County Commission.

04/27/2026

✅Commissioner Contact info updated:

Passing on a huge local concern that all utahns should be a part of; a decision we all should be part of.

This affects everyone living in range of the GSL and it affects every living creature in the region, both migratory and permanent residents.
__________________________________________________

Sharing this from another's (Brad Wheeler) page:

There’s a proposal moving forward in Box Elder County that most people along the Wasatch Front haven’t heard about yet—but it could have long-term impacts on the entire region.

County officials are considering approval of a massive data center and power project near the northern edge of the Great Salt Lake—a project that, at full scale, would be one of the largest of its kind in the country.

And it’s happening tomorrow.

We’re being told the Great Salt Lake is drying up—that it’s becoming a public health threat, that it could literally poison the air.

And at the same time, Box Elder County is considering what could become the largest industrial project in Utah history—a multi-gigawatt data center and power facility right next to it.

You don’t save the Great Salt Lake by putting a massive data center next to it.

That’s not a complicated idea. It’s common sense.

This isn’t small-scale growth. This is industrial development at a scale Utah has never seen in one place—one that could demand enormous amounts of water and energy in a region already under strain. And yet, the public still doesn’t have clear, shared answers about what that demand actually looks like over time, or what it means for the lake.

Because water that doesn’t reach the lake changes everything. It changes salinity. It changes habitat. It changes air quality. And those impacts don’t stop at county lines—they affect Weber and Davis counties just as much as Box Elder. The lake is one system, and when it shifts, the entire Wasatch Front feels it.

This project also sits near one of the most sensitive ecological areas in the West, including the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Millions of birds depend on this habitat. It’s not just open land—it’s a critical part of a global migration system, and a defining feature of northern Utah.

We’ve also seen what happens when large systems fail near water. Incidents at Willard Bay and Red Butte Creek weren’t supposed to happen either. They remind us that when something goes wrong at scale, it doesn’t stay contained—and it doesn’t come without consequences.

Supporters will talk about jobs, tax revenue, and economic growth. Those things matter. But so does the cost of getting it wrong. Growth without understanding isn’t progress—it’s risk pushed into the future.

This isn’t about stopping development. It’s about asking whether we actually understand what we’re doing before we do it.
Because once a project like this is approved, it doesn’t just shape the economy.

It shapes the land, the water, and the future of the Great Salt Lake.
If you’re reading this and something about it doesn’t sit right, don’t ignore that.

Call the Box Elder County Commissioners:
Boyd Bingham — 435-734-3347 — [email protected]
Lee Perry — 435-734-3347 — [email protected]
Tyler Vincent — 435-734-3347 — [email protected]

Ask them direct questions:
- What is the total water demand?
- Where is that water coming from?
- What happens at full buildout?
- What protections are in place if something goes wrong?

Then show up. Attend the meeting. Submit a public comment.

Share this with people in Weber and Davis counties—because this doesn’t stop at the county line.

Decisions this big shouldn’t happen quietly.

And they shouldn’t happen on assumption.

02/09/2026

We are sorry for the Patriots fans' loss, but WRCNU is currently treating one patient who was extremely happy for the SEAHAWKS SB Win.

We couldn't hear ourselves talk over her loud, incessant rants, "GO SEAHAWKS!", over and over and over. 😆

💙💚💙

Photo, 1st year (2025) Osprey juvenile.