With Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror comes time to celebrate winter festivities including Christmas and Hanukkah.
The Wildlife Learning Center (WLC) is celebrating the winter with its 3rd annual Winter Wonderland festivities.
“Get in the holiday spirit,” WLC co-founder David Riherd says “at our 3rd annual Winter Wonderland on Saturday and Sunday evenings in December. “
Riherd and co-founder Paul Hahn invite readers to “Enjoy the animals and beautiful lights at night while sipping apple cider or hot chocolate, posing for photo ops, and listening to holiday music. Kids can use their creativity making an ornament at our craft table and explore WLC by partaking in our scavenger hunt.”
WLC is trying to put the difficult times of COVID behind them at move into more “normal” patterns. The small, accredited private zoo and rescue center in Sylmar has recently been returning to a more normal pattern, with the Halloween “Creeptacular” and the upcoing Winter Wonderland.
WLC has birds, reptiles arthropods and mammals from all over the world. The collection includes a bald eagle, pythons, sloths, a serval, Canada lynx a bobcat and other animals big and small. Tarantulas and scorpions are also present and were featured in the Halloween festivities.
It may be on the smaller side but it is an active participant in wildlife education and conservation. According to its website:
“Wildlife Learning and Conservation Center (WLCC) is located in Sylmar, California, nestled in an old olive grove. WLCC was founded in 2007 to give a home and care to animals in need and to provide public education in the life sciences, conservation, and the environment. WLCC is dedicated to giving over 100 displaced, rescued, and zoo-born wild animals a home. “
Accredited zoos big and small participate in efforts to endure survival of threatened animals and WLC is no exception.
“WLCC also participates in species conservation efforts called Species Survival Plans (SSP), which are managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). SSP programs cooperatively manage threatened and endangered species within AZA-accredited Zoos and Aquariums, Certified Related Facilities, and Sustainability Partners. SSP’s preserve species from extinction by maintaining sustainable and genetically diverse populations of species. As part of our conservation mission, Wildlife Learning Center is an active participant in the SSP programs for the two-toed sloth (Cholopous didactylus), 3-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus), and North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum).”