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New Opening Hours Starting December 3rd
WildCare's Wildlife Ambassador Zone at our Transition location will be open to the public on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm starting on December 3, 2024.
Admission is free and reservations are not required.
Map to WildCare Transition on Schmidt Lane off North San Pedro Road in San Rafael. Questions? Call WildCare's Hotline at 415-456-7283.
Learn About Native Wildlife
The way people think about captive animals is changing. No longer do we accept just seeing a captive animal in a cage. We want a richer experience that includes an understanding of the animal’s habitat, physiology and natural history. And who is better able to teach us than the animals themselves?
WildCare’s Wildlife Ambassador Program is a unique collaboration between animals and their human handlers designed to provide an enriched experience of animals on display.
Through Ambassador Zone signage and interactions with our docents, visitors are introduced to each Wildlife Ambassador and learn the animal's personal story. Visitors learn fascinating facts about the species as well as information about the environmental issues faced by wild animals today.
Natural Behaviors and Enrichment Techniques
In their courtyard poolside enclosure, our pelicans splash into the water to scoop fish into their throat pouches and our gull shows off her beautiful red beak. Members of the public can visit to learn about and watch our pool birds’ adaptations to their watery environment.
Routines and training give captive animals activity and challenges. Behavior-enriching activities such as finding hidden food or eating food frozen like a popsicle are stimulating events that keep animals mentally and physically healthy. Maintaining the mental health of our Ambassador animals is an important component of being a Wildlife Ambassador volunteer.
Field trips Wildlife Ambassador Zone are not available yet. But there is nothing more memorable for your students than having live wild animals visit your classroom!
Fully booked for 2024/2025! Click below to join the waitlist.
Your group will have the opportunity to meet three of WildCare’s rescued non-releasable wild animals during this unforgettable presentation.
Scholarships available, click here to learn more!
Due to the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in our region, we are currently only able to offer reptile and opossum adaptations programs. Classroom visitors can include a Virginia Opossum, Desert Tortoise, California Kingsnake, Rosy Boa, or a Western Pond Turtle.
We do not know how long HPAI will last, but we look forward to resuming our regular programing as soon as this threat to our birds has passed.
Our Wildlife Ambassador Animals
Meet Our Wildlife Ambassadors
By sharing their rescue stories, these animals act as ambassadors for their species in order to increase awareness of their plight in the wild.
WildCare’s is home to non-releasable wild animals. All of our Wildlife Ambassadors have shown themselves adaptable to the demands and stresses of living near humans, and each of them provides an invaluable opportunity for the public to view native animals up close.
