Each year, nearly 2,500 injured or orphaned animals receive first aid and rehabilitation at the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center at Penitentiary Glen Reservation. Patients include common backyard wildlife such as rabbits, squirrels and songbirds, and uncommon species such as peregrine falcons and bobcats. Our goal is to return healthy wildlife back to the wild. Special attention is given to animals whose populations are in decline.
Our focus is the rehabilitation of native Ohio wildlife species. Under state permits, the center is not permitted to rehabilitate skunks, raccoons, deer, coyote, mute swans and red-eared sliders.
The Wildlife Center does NOT accept domestic (i.e. farm animals, cats), exotic (i.e. ball pythons, parrots), and non-native species (i.e. English house sparrows, European starlings).
The Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center is accepting animals by appointment ONLY, between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm. If you have an injured and/or orphaned animal, you must first call the Wildlife Hotline at 440-256-1404 x2131 to discuss your concerns and determine if an appointment is necessary. Only animals booked with an appointment can be accepted and cared for.
A green heron that received care at the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center
The Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center, in partnership with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, often provides care to injured bald eagles. Our most recent eagle patient was tangled in fishing line and hooks near Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor. A hook went through his wing and in his attempt to remove it, the hook ended up through his beak, preventing him from flying or eating. When we received him at the center he was emaciated, malnourished, weak and suffering infection at his wound sites. He was found just in time for us to start medical care and treat his wounds before they caused permanent damage. He received three weeks of daily care, ate lots of fish and got plenty of exercise to prepare him for release. This eagle’s resilience and fierceness allowed him to heal quickly and build up his strength again. He was released to soar along the shores of Lake Erie again near where he was found.
Apollo is the resident bald eagle ambassador for Lake Metroparks. Found in Perry, he arrived at the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center in June 2011 as a juvenile with an injured wing. He was learning to fly, taking test flights out of the nest and back again. On the second day he was practicing his flight, he flew into the territory of a pair of nearby eagles. Eagles are very territorial during nesting season, and the male of that pair came to chase the intruding youngster away. A fight ensued and the adult attacked the young eagle, breaking its wing and sending him down to the ground. A concerned neighbor called the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the eagle was brought to the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center.
The eagle’s broken wing was repaired and he was placed in a large flight enclosure with lots of room for him to stretch his wings and practice flying. Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center staff regularly helped him stretch and flex his wing. He spent six months in therapy, but unfortunately he could not regain complete flexibility in his wing and is unable to fly. Because of this, he was not able to be released back into the wild.
Apollo
The Animal Ambassadors, including Apollo, represent a variety of native Ohio wildlife species. These residents are under the permanent care of Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center staff because their injuries prohibit independent survival. Animal Ambassadors allow us to educate the public about conservation.
The Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center, in partnership with the ODOW, is the primary bobcat rehabilitation facility in the state. Since 2012, the center has cared for and released eight bobcat kittens (six of which were orphaned due to vehicle strikes). Don’t let their cuteness fool you though—even as kittens they are fierce and defensive. It is imperative that we maintain this wildness throughout their stay at the center. We never want them to become friendly or imprinted on humans as this decreases their chances for survival in the wild.
Lake Metroparks has two webcams providing a look at wildlife being cared for by staff at the Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center.
Wildlife Cam: Peek inside the private lives of wildlife in rehabilitation at the facility. You might see them exploring and foraging or even sleeping as they develop and grow.
Bald eagle Cam: Catch a glimpse of Apollo, our permanent bald eagle resident, bathing or using his foraging skills to get a food reward from the latest enrichment item placed in his enclosure.