HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A wildlife hospital in our area opened it's doors today to let the community get a sneak peek at what they do.
It was a chance for visitors to have an up-close encounter with the wildlife that call northeastern and central Pennsylvania home.
"I get to see baby raccoons every day, I get to see baby owls every day. To get to share that with my community who supports what we do is a really good feeling," said Kathy Uhler, Director of Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center.
"We saw a coyote, we saw a couple skunks, we saw baby rabbits, which were pretty cool," said Kassidy Bond of Saylorsburg, who visited the center with her parents.
The annual open house allows the public to see the animals, as well as learn about the center.
"Our community supports us, and if they can`t see what we do, it`s hard for them to support us. So once a year, for a weekend, we open up and so people can come and see what it is that we do at a wildlife hospital," explained Uhler.
Visitors were able to see fawns, many different species of owls, porcupines, foxes, and other animals throughout the center's grounds.
But the newest residents, played hard to get. Two five month old bear cubs were brought in this week after their mother died.
While many of the animals at the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center are permanent residents, some will later be released back into the wild after rehabilitation, and it`s all thanks to donations from the public.
"We're licensed by many state and federal agencies, but we are not funded by any. A lot of people think we are, we`re not. We`re funded by our community, so without everyone out there who is watching right now helping out, we couldn`t do what we do," said Uhler.
The Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center accepts monetary donations and supplies, including paper towels and fruits and vegetables.
Officials hope that the open house will help bring donations in, as well as people interested in volunteering, like Kassidy Bond.
"I think it`s really cool how they put this all together by donations, and I think it`s great, rehabilitating animals and putting them back into the wild," said Bond.
The Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center will be open tomorrow, Sunday June 23, from 10am to 4pm for another day of open house festivities.
For more information on volunteering, donations, and more, click here.