Wildlife Assist Volunteers (WAV)

is a group of people dedicated to the search-and-rescue of wildlife in trouble, and to the prevention of wildlife problems, both for animals and for humans. We are not funded by any agency; we survive solely through donations and membership fees.

What We Do

WILDLIFE ASSIST responds to over 1,000 calls per year from you, the public, and from agencies such as the Harbor Police, military and lifeguards who report wild birds and mammals in trouble. We travel throughout San Diego County to rescue these ill, injured and orphaned wildlife and transport them to wildlife rehabilitation groups for care and release back into the wild. We offer free rescue and transport service, 365 days a year. We also advise you, the public, in the prevention of wildlife problems, as they pertain to both the animals and to you. By the terms of our State and Federal permits, we cannot relocate healthy wildlife or help marine animals.

WILDLIFE ASSIST hopes that, through our rescues, through prevention consultations with homeowners and businesses, through outreach programs in the schools and through public information dissemination via the media, we will raise the level of public awareness regarding wildlife problems to a point where those problems, for both humans and wildlife, are significantly reduced.

Zoo de beauval

The Beauval zoo, which is located in Saint-Aignan near the Loire castles, invites you to tour the animal world in the heart of a 26 hectare wooded park. With over 4,600 animals, this zoo can be proud to present the largest wildlife collection in France!
May 21, 2013AudreyWeb2 ReviewsAverage reading time: 2'16
Presentation of the Zoo Parc
The Beauval zoo , also called Beauval Zoo Park , is a zoological park located in the town of Saint-Aignan in the Loir-et-Cher department.

This 26 ha park has been classified among the 15 most beautiful zoos in the world by the Forbes Traveler for the quality of its equipment and the diversity of the animal species represented. With more than 4,600 animals including 2,000 birds, this zoo is indeed one of the largest animal parks in Europe.

It welcomes animals from around the world , including some very rare species that you will not see anywhere else: koalas, white tigers, white lions, okapis, arboreal kangaroos, manatees ...

panoramic :

History of Zoo Parc
The Beauval zoo was created by Françoise Delord in 1980 . It was originally an ornithological park, which became a zoo in 1989 with the arrival of monkeys and wild animals. This park notably welcomed the first white tigers and the first white lions of France.

Today, the zoo can boast of having the largest wildlife collection in France and counting the largest number of births , with 300 to 350 annual births!

This place at the forefront of the protection of endangered species aims to welcome rare animals, to breed them and to protect them in their natural environment.

It has also set itself the mission of raising awareness among the general public and children and conducts educational actions (guided tours and workshops for school children, explanatory panels for 5-12 year olds, etc.).
An exceptional place
Nearly 20 years after its creation, the Serre tropicale des Oiseaux has been completely refurbished and offers a sumptuous decor.
Enclosure, vegetation, water points ... Everything has been redesigned to the last detail for the comfort of the occupants: birds of course, but also two-toed sloths, Malaysian chevrotains, furry armadillos and threesome armadillos bands.

On the elephant plain , you can discover Rungwe, an African baby elephant from artificial insemination. This experience is a first in France and a real hope for the survival of the species.

Wildlife Woes...

Careless Acts by Humans Can Cause Tragic Problems for Wildlife. (above) This juvenile endangered Brown Pelican has a fishhook and lure embedded in his pouch. Luckily, we captured him before the delicate membrane was severely torn. The bird was rehabilitated and released by SeaWorld, in San Diego.

A Western Gull floats in an uncovered barrel of discarded frying oil behind a fast-food restaurant. The gull required multiple baths and rehabilitation by Project Wildlife, in San Diego, before he could be released.

Waterfowl, such as this Northern Pintail, get caught in discarded 6-pack rings and cannot eat. We tried for 2 days to rescue him, but, not having a net gun at the time, we were unsuccessful. We never saw him again.

Carelessly discarded fishing line is a death-trap to wildlife, such as the Great Blue Heron whose tangled feet are shown at left. This bird disappeared for several months, then was found one day, severely injured. He died the same day.

Our Volunteers

Join the ranks of our compassionate, dedicated, humane volunteers. Any age is welcome. Call us about our parent-child rescue combo's. See our Orientation Schedule to find the next time and place we'll be presenting our program to potential volunteers.

Orientation Schedule

Come to one of our three monthly orientations in 2008:

Our Wish List...

HeadQuarters: Help! We desperately need space for an office, dispatch room, equipment, meetings, etc.; central Bay location.

Volunteers: any age.

Rescue Team: sheets, towels, heating pads, inverters, disposable pads, binoculars.

Education Team: training in puppetry by experienced puppet-master; wildlife and people puppets.

Publicity: digital camera, updated PC (ours is windows 95), scanner, laser printer, photo printer; Kodak 200, 24-exposure print film.

Donations: even $1 will help.