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Monday 9am - 4pm Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 4pm Saturday 9am - 4pm Sunday 9am - 4pm

Cape Wildlife Center

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Barnstable, MA
Cape Wildlife Center

Wildlife hospital, education center and community hub! Program of We operate two non-profit wildlife hospitals and education Centers.
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The Birdsey Cape Wildlife Center is the Cape Cod branch of the New England Wildlife Centers. Each year we provide free veterinary care to over 5000 sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals. In the process of caring for these patients we work to educate members of the public and spread the message of environmental conservation . Each day we work to preserve the rich natural history of Cape Cod a

nd Southeastern Massachusetts m, one animal – and one person at a time. If you have found a wild animal in need of help, or have questions about wildlife, natural history, or habitat please call our wildlife Hotline at (508) 362 0111

08/06/2025

Look who’s back!! 🐢👀

Most of the time we would never recognize a patient if they happened to return to our hospital, however, this diamondback terrapin is definitely one of a kind! We released her back in 2024 after she had spent a whole year recuperating from multiple severe fractures to her shell. To be honest at first glance we were leaning toward humanely euthanizing her because her injury was so severe we didn’t think she would have a chance, but two things changed our minds. First, was her will to survive. Despite sustaining multiple fractures she literally still tried to crawl off the table. The second was the fact we had started using beeswax as a waterproof bandage. If not for this technique we wouldn’t be able to treat cases like this because it would mean having to keep these aquatic turtles out of water for months. When these turtles are kept out of water for extended amounts of time it leads to a poor quality of life becuase they rarely eat out of water and become severely dehydrated, even when supplemented with injectable fluids.

Fortunately our technique worked and she thrived in care. Miraculously she regrew a new shell underneath the wax while spending the whole time in water. Did it look like a shiny new shell in the end… no, but it was functional and provided her a hard layer of protection so she could be released and continue her life in the wild. Now almost a full year after release she returned to the hospital. We recognized her immediately by her unique shell. Thankfully she wasn’t injured but she was found stuck in a crab trap and the finders wanted to make sure she was ok. She was feistier than ever and her shell had grown in more. It was great to see she was living her best life and made it through the winter.

We rarely get the opportunity to check back in on our patients after release. We make the best decisions regarding their care and release based on decades of collective experience and data and it’s these special cases that let us know our protocols work! We were ecstatic to send her back on her way and who knows perhaps our paths will cross again.

08/04/2025

Meet our newest (and most dramatic) patient — a baby turkey vulture!

Don’t let his small fluffy feathers fool you — he’s got a lot of attitude packed into that tiny body. While our vet team was trying to examine him he was hissing, posturing, and side-eyeing galore... and honestly, thats what we like to see because even though he’s just a youngster, he’s already showing the strong defensive behavior typical of the species.

We are not quite sure what happened to his parents, but he was found alone with a wound on the base of his tail feathers. Fortunately it’s a minor injury that is resolving quickly with some pain meds and anti-inflammatory medication to reduce the swelling. While he is here we are providing nutritious meals that quite frankly might be more fresh than his parents might bring him and he is so far self feeding and gaining weight. Once his injury is healed we will investigate if we can find his original nest and parents. Turkey vultures don’t build traditional nests. Instead, they prefer secluded, sheltered spots like hollow logs, rock crevices, abandoned buildings, or dense thickets — anywhere quiet, dark, and protected. The adults usually lay their eggs directly on the ground, often returning to the same nesting site year after year if it’s safe. If we are not able to locate his family we will work with a local biologist who can find a foster family with similar aged chicks that will adopt him.
Vultures are often misunderstood creatures, but they play such a vital role in nature. As scavengers, they help prevent the spread of disease by cleaning up carrion. We are hoping we can get this little guy healed and back out there so he can play his part in the ecosystem.

Stay tuned for updates — and wish this feisty baby a smooth recovery! 💪🦅

08/01/2025

🚨Patient of the week🚨

While we try not to play favorites, this little green heron may in fact be the cutest thing we have seen all week. He was brought into the hospital when Barnstable Department of Natural Resources found him alone and vulnerable—too young to survive on his own. These birds are secretive by nature and typically stay hidden in dense wetlands, so when one ends up in care, it’s serious.

He came in cold, skinny and dehydrated. Since intake, we’ve been able to warm him up, rehydrate, and now focused on providing some proper nutrition. He is not eating on his own so we have to assist feed him several times a day. He’s not out of the woods yet but we’re hoping he starts improving soon please send healing thoughts his way!

07/23/2025

last week, we got a call that a young Eastern screech owl was sitting on the side of a busy road in Harwich. This is not typical owl behavior, so we sent our rescue team out to investigate. They found him grounded and too disoriented to move from his spot. Based on his age and location, we believe he had just recently left the nest and was likely hit by a car while learning to fly. This may have even been his first solo-flight. Talk about learning lessons the hard way!

In the photos, you can see he’s squinting, and one pupil is noticeably larger than the other. That’s called anisocoria, and we see it often in head trauma cases. It can happen when the brain swells or when there’s pressure on the nerves that control the eyes resulting from trauma.

Unlike humans, owls can control how much light enters their eyes by independently expanding and contracting their pupils. This adaption helps them hunt in dark conditions and gives them excellent depth perception. It is not abnormal to see one pupil larger than the other while they are adjusting to new lighting, but the severity of this case let us know that something was wrong. We brought him back to the hospital for a full workup.

He received a blood test, X-rays, physical exam, and most importantly, an eye exam. Thankfully we did not find any broken bones or lasting damage to the eyes. He was prescribed fluids, anti-inflammatory meds, and cage rest while the swelling in his head resolves.

This morning, we were very excited to see that he was bright, alert, and had eaten all of his mice. We flight tested him and he passed with flying colors! He let us know he was ready to return to the wild and give flying another go. This afternoon we took him back to Harwichport and let him go. We are very happy to report his second flight went WAY better than the first and he took off into the woodlands!

07/17/2025

🌿 A Huge Thank You to Sophy Tuttle! 🌿

We are beyond excited to share that the incredibly talented muralist Sophy Tuttle has brought her artistry to life on one of our outdoor nature trail enclosures along Brett’s Way! 🎨🌸 Her generosity and creativity have truly transformed the space, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with how stunning it looks.

Come see it for yourself! Take a stroll through the Hale Family Woodlands behind our Weymouth facility and check out this beautiful addition to the trail. We’d love to see you there and say hello! 👋

A huge thank you again, Sophy, for your amazing contribution to our community and nature trails. ❤️

06/29/2025

🐾🥜 Little Peanut Butter Bandit Alert! 🥜🐾

This morning’s adventure involved one very determined (and now very embarrassed) raccoon who got his entire headstuck in a peanut butter jar. 😅

Apparently, the lure of those last few delicious spoonfuls was just too much to resist… but once his snack turned into a helmet, he needed a helping hand.

Barnstable Animal Control brought him over and our veterinary team was able to safely remove the jar and free our furry friend—jar intact, pride slightly bruised, and peanut butter cravings definitely satisfied.

After a quick exam we did not find any sustained injuries so after some rehydrating fluids he was released! He waddled off safe and sound, probably thinking twice about his next snack mission. To help critters avoid getting caught is situations like this always be sure to secure all trash and recycling. Fortunately his little guy was found before any permanent damage was done but the next animal might not be so lucky. Thank you to all parties that made sure this raccoon got the helped he needed! 🦝❤️

Address

4011 Main Street
Barnstable, MA
02630

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm
Saturday	9am - 4pm
Sunday	9am - 4pm

Telephone

(508) 362-0111

Website

http://capewildlifecenter.com/

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The Cape Wildlife Center Mission

The Cape Wildlife Center is a non-profit wildlife hospital and education center located in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Each year we provide veterinary care and rehabilitation to 2,000 sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals. In the process of caring for these patients we work to educate members of the public and spread the message of environmental conservation . Each day we work to preserve the rich natural history of Cape Cod and the islands, one animal – and one person at a time. If you have found a wild animal in need of help, or have questions about wildlife, natural history, or habitat please call our wildlife Hotline at (508) 362 0111