The California Wildlife Center (CWC), the locally based nonprofit that rescues and cares for orphaned, sick and injured native wildlife, held its 18th annual fundraiser on Sunday at Gull’s Way. The sold-out event had over 620 attendees enjoying vegetarian dishes from nine restaurants, free drinks from nine purveyors of beer, wine and liquor, 240 silent auction items and live auction items that included a tour of Jay Leno’s garage.
“People keep coming back and look forward to it — it’s easy for them, it’s casual, and it’s ‘Eat, drink, be merry and bid.’ It’s also such a beautiful location,” said Victoria Harris, a member of CWC’s executive board that has organized the event for 17 years.
Malibu resident Barry Haldeman told The Malibu Times that his wife, fine art photographer Maureen Haldeman, donates one of her photos to the silent auction almost every year.
“We very much support the wildlife center, because they do a wonderful job,” Haldeman said. “We’ve had sick and injured sea lions and gulls on the beach by our house, and CWC always welcomes our call. Malibu needs them very much.”
The wildlife center rescues a wide variety of native animals and birds from Malibu’s 27 miles of coastline, as well as the Santa Monica Mountains, San Fernando and Conejo valleys. Displays at the Wild Brunch illustrated examples of the complex veterinary cases treated in the past year by staff vet Duane Tom, including a coyote hit by a car, a red-tailed hawk shot with a pellet gun and a Canada goose shot with an arrow. A display of arrows and fishing tackle surgically removed from wildlife was a sobering reminder of man’s role in those injuries.
CWC’s Marine Mammal Program rescues not only marine mammals, like elephant seals and sea lions, but pelicans and other seabirds. Jeff Hall, marine program manager, said the program was “expanding, and getting bigger and better.” They just received a Prescott Grant for about $100,000 that will fund a “marine mammal pathology technician” to research dead animals that wash up, conducting necropsies and having samples analyzed.
Of the 4,300 animals that CWC took in this year, over 300 were marine mammals. Some of the most unusual rescues this year included two green sea turtles — a species normally found much farther south; and two black bear cubs that were treated and transferred to a specialized facility.
A couple of years ago, local billionaire Larry Ellison began taking an interest in CWC, and even held a private fundraiser for the organization. CWC soon learned the wisdom of that old adage, “Be careful what you wish for,” because their longtime wish for an ongoing benefactor came true. Ellison did become a major donor, but the money came with some strings attached.
CWC was placed under Ellison’s umbrella organization for all of the animal charities he supports, which is called “Pacific Animal Initiatives.” The other organizations under the umbrella besides CWC are Lana’i Animal Rescue Center (Hawaii), Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA and Conservation Center for Wildlife Care. All groups are managed by Ken White, executive director and president of the Peninsula Humane Society (PHS).
Three of the five-person Executive Board of CWC now consists of PHS employees — White is CWC board president, other PHS staff members serve as secretary operations chair. The remaining two board members are Victoria Harris and Aaron Frank (a co-founder of CWC who hasn’t lived in the area for years).
Last January, White replaced the previous executive director of CWC with an individual who had animal nonprofit experience, but never worked with wildlife before — Jennifer Brent.
Brent has since hired a full-time “volunteer coordinator” — a position that used to be held by volunteers — and a development coordinator.
A locally well-known member of the marine mammal team, Jonsie Ross, was declared a “seasonal employee” by Brent after eight years on staff, and laid off. Ross rescues all kinds of animals. She brought national news attention to CWC in July after working over three days to catch a Malibu coyote with its head stuck in a two-foot drainage tube. According to experts, the coyote probably wouldn’t have survived much longer without help — the tube had eaten through to her jawbone
“People in Malibu are not happy [about the lay-off] at all,” Ross said. “I got so much awesome PR rescuing that coyote and [Brent was angry] because she had to pay me two hours of overtime.”
“I’m amazed at the volunteer staff. There are so many ‘real deal’ people here,” Brent said. She confirmed that while CWC continues to upgrade its facilities, they’re also on the lookout for a new location. “We’re at capacity and need to expand and provide more services.”
