For the past decade, Cheryl Winkler has dedicated her life to saving the lives of animals. From mice to moose, Winkler’s heart is filled when an animal that is brought to her to nurse back to health reaches the moment it can be released back into the wild. Yet, her heart breaks a little as not every animal can be saved despite her best efforts.
It’s a calling she’s been answering since she was a young girl when she was asked by a conservation officer to care for three little raccoons.
The Moose Mountain Recoup and Release, which is located on the border of the Moose Mountain Provincial Park, is a non-profit organization. On Saturday, Oct. 1, the second annual Moose Mountain Gone Wild Fundraiser was hosted at the Red Market Barn where numerous people who believe in the work that Winkler is doing attended. With door prizes, silent and live auction items, a 50/50 draw, and entertainment the evening was a success.
“I’ve been doing this for 10 years now and I could not do it without all of you,” Winkler explained. “We’ve had our ups and downs this year, a few bumps in the road this season, but we’ve rose up to meet them, much like Phoenix our eagle that we took in last year and released last fall. He had been caught in a snare and thought to be dead, but he wasn’t, and he made a full recovery.”
“I couldn’t do this all by myself, it’s a whole community that has reached out to help me do what I do.”
“It’s been one of our heaviest years this year with over 100 animals intaken and of that 75 percent were non-predators. Everybody deserves a chance and we’ll take anything in, even a mouse. If someone has the compassion to bring it to me I will do everything I can to see it through and release.”
Winkler took the time to present and thank four volunteers who have been integral this summer, her husband, and everyone who has shown support for what she does.
The evening included entertainment by Lorri Solomon-Matthewson, Chris Byrne, and Wool Tree Grove (Aaron and Jacquie Walbaum). Both Solomon-Matthewson and the Walbaums spoke of how they came to meet Cheryl. For Solomon-Matthewson, an injured sparrow in need of help brought them together, while the Walbaums came across a baby raccoon that they brought to Cheryl last year.
Costs vary for the rehab depending on what type of animals Winkler is working with. Costs range from $10 a week for a duckling to $200 a week for a moose. Each species requires a specific formula, which contains different levels of fats and proteins in it, which corresponds to the type of animal she is caring for and what they need in their diet.
The fundraising evening brought in approximately $14,000 before expenses.
For more information, check out: www.moosemountainrnr.org or Moose Mountain Mountain R n R Wildlife Rehabilitation on Facebook.
