An extremely rare white raven found over a year ago in grave condition is now flourishing and is now viewable by the public at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (NIWRC).
Known now as Blizzard, the rare bird was found last June in dire condition and unable to fly and was taken to NIWRC to be cared for where it was determined a sore on the bird’s leg was infected.
The male bird was a baby at the time and due to the compromised immune system, Blizzard was isolated in an enclosed area at their Errington facility to limit common bacteria and stress from visitors.
Fast forward to today, Blizzard now has a custom-made enclosure at the Leffler Road facility near Parksville.
He was quietly moved earlier in July to help it adjust to its new living quarters.
According to NIWRC, the once timid bird is now embracing interacting with the public.
White ravens have been spotted in the Oceanside area on the east coast of Vancouver Island, including Coombs, Qualicum and Parksville, since the 1990s, but few seem to survive a year.
Some have dubbed them sacred Oceanside white ravens.
NIWRC is a non-profit operation open daily for a fee between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and located at 1240 Leffler Road in Errington.
Information on donating to or volunteering at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre can be found here.
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