Wildlife Care at Drumlin Farm
Please Note
→ Do NOT bring orphaned or injured wildlife to our sanctuary ←
While some of our wildlife residents do require special care as a result of their injuries, we aren't a rehabilitation center. If you encounter an injured animal, please contact your local wildlife rehabilitator. Find a list on MassWildlife's website >
Wildlife Care Center
Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary is unique in its position as an environmental education center, working farm, and wildlife sanctuary, which includes a collection of native wildlife on exhibit and utilized in educational programs both on and offsite to area schools and communities.
The Wildlife Care Center is a long term care facility for injured or human-habituated wildlife that cannot survive in the wild. Most of our animals are used for educational programming, and the rest are species ambassadors on display for our visitors on the farm. A team of teacher naturalists utilizes our education animals to teach about wildlife and the importance of conserving our natural world.
Wildlife Biologists Club
Teens Ages 13-17
Interested in the field of wildlife biology and caring for animals? Teens ages 13-17 can learn from our Wildlife Care staff about long-term care for our resident wildlife, including dietary requirements, husbandry practices, and animal enrichment. We'll meet monthly, October through March, with the opportunity for time to be counted towards community service requirements. Learn more >
Wildlife Care Internship
College Students & Recent Grads
The Wildlife Internship Program for college students and recent grads helps train future wildlife care specialists. Our interns learn from and assist Wildlife Care staff with the general care and maintenance of a collection of native non-releasable wildlife. Get details & apply >
Animals at the Wildlife Care Center
Drumlin Farm cares for more than 70 individuals that belong to more than 30 species of wildlife native to Massachusetts.
Education Animals
When they are not visiting thousands of schoolchildren in their classrooms each year, these animals reside at the Wildlife Care Center. This area is not open to the public.
Some of the species housed at the Wildlife Care Center include:
| American Crow | European Starling |
| American Kestrel | Great Horned Owl |
| American Pekin Duck | Hissing Cockroaches |
| American Robin | Mallard |
| Barn Owl | Mice |
| Barred Owl | Northern Bobwhite |
| Big Brown Bat | Painted Turtle |
| Blue Jay | Rabbits (domestic) |
| Box Turtle | Red-shouldered Hawk |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Red-tailed Hawk |
| Call Duck | Spotted Turtle |
| Canada Goose | Striped Skunk |
| Common Grackle | Turkey Vulture |
| Corn Snake | Virginia Opossum |
| Diamondback Terrapin | Wood Duck |
| Downy Woodpecker | Woodchuck |
| Eastern Screech Owl |
Exhibit Animals
When you visit Drumlin Farm, you have an opportunity to see many of our native wildlife in three different exhibits: Bird Hill, Drumlin Underground, and the Deer Pen. During the winter, some of the exhibit animals "migrate" to the Wildlife Care Center where they can enjoy an artificial warmer climate. Learn more about these exhibits >
Retired Animals
Several animals have worked with us for many years, and now they are enjoying their well-deserved rest at the Wildlife Care Center, which is not open to the public. One of our retired animals is our oldest guest—a Turkey Vulture that came to the farm in 1977 as an adult. He is at least 40 years old, but might be much older.