The Montana Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center

(Now Montana WILD's Wildlife Center)

Winters in Montana can be fierce. In some places, temperatures can fall well below zero, and deep snow and ice make life tough for wild animals that are sick, injured, or too young to survive on their own. Bear cubs need to be prepared to survive the long winter. In a perfect year, under the protection of their mothers, they feast on berries, roots, insects, and other foods and build up thick rolls of fat to sustain them while they sleep through the cold months. But what happens when nature's plan goes wrong?

For many years, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) cared for orphaned and injured wildlife at a small animal shelter by its Helena regional office. Over time, that old facility became worn out and too small; it lacked good heating, sanitation, and separate spaces for sick or recovering animals. A better home was needed to give Montana's wild patients the care they needed and the best chance of returning to the wild.

Helping Out!

In the 1990s, the Mikal Kellner Foundation for Animals (now often called the Foundation for Animals) partnered with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the USDA Forest Service to create a new wildlife rehabilitation and education center near Spring Meadow Lake State Park just west of Helena. The Foundation raised money, bought about 5.3 acres of land overlooking the lake, and donated the land and new buildings to FWP. Construction of the main facility and several large wildlife enclosures was completed in 2002, and the new Wildlife Center began replacing the deteriorating wild animal shelter.

Today this site is known as Montana WILD's Wildlife Center and FWP's Montana WILD conservation education center. It provides professional care for wild animals in a setting that prepares them for a proper and gentle release back to the wild whenever possible. Kids and adults benefit too—they can learn about Montana wildlife and conservation through exhibits, classes, and programs designed to respect the animals and avoid stressing them.

A Temporary Home — Not a Zoo

The Wildlife Center's main purpose is to make sure orphaned and injured wild animals receive humane care and the best possible chance to heal and return to the wild. It is not a zoo: the enclosures are designed to keep animals as wild as possible, with limited human contact, natural perches and hiding places, and diets that match what they would eat in nature.

Montana WILD's Wildlife Center now rehabilitates roughly 150–200 animals each year, including raptors (birds of prey), songbirds, small mammals, and occasionally species like black bear cubs. Many of these animals are released back into the wild once they are healthy and able to survive on their own.

Because too much human contact can harm wild animals or make them less afraid of people, the Wildlife Center itself is closed to public walk-throughs most of the time. Instead, Montana WILD offers education programs using non-releasable raptors and other ambassador animals—wild creatures that cannot go back to the wild but can safely help teach visitors about their species. The center's live-bird education programs make more than 25,000 public contacts each year and even include a nationally recognized Veteran Program that has served over 1,000 veterans working through PTSD and substance-use challenges.

New projects continue to improve the site. In 2016, donations helped add the Kelly Kuntz Eagle Flight Barn, giving recovering eagles and other large birds a long “runway� to rebuild their strength and practice flying. In 2025, Montana WILD broke ground on a new avian building that will provide better rehabilitation space for nearly 200 injured and orphaned birds each year and a viewing area where visitors can safely see some raptors without disturbing those in treatment. Much of this work is funded through a mix of state support and private donations from groups like the Foundation for Animals and the Montana Outdoor Legacy Foundation.

Learning About Wildlife

In addition to the day-to-day care of wild animals, the center's goals are to:

• Stress the importance of wildlife management and habitat protection for the long-term well-being of Montana's wild animals, from songbirds and raptors to bears and deer.
• Emphasize that young animals should not be disturbed or removed from their natural environments—if you care, leave them there, and call a wildlife professional if you truly think an animal is injured.
• Provide experience for volunteers and students who are interested in helping with wild animal care, learning about conservation careers, and assisting with releases and education programs, under trained staff supervision.

• Encourage understanding and support for wildlife conservation in Montana, including how people can live responsibly with bears, mountain lions, and other wild neighbors.

You can make a difference by learning how to live responsibly with wildlife, sharing what you learn with friends and family, and supporting organizations that help Montana's animals and habitats. For current information about programs, volunteering, and how to help, visit Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' Montana WILD Wildlife Center pages or the Foundation for Animals online.

Updated: January 30, 2026