Think Wild provides a wildlife support system in Central Oregon.
Think Wild's mission is to inspire the high desert community to care for and protect native wildlife through education, conservation, and rescue/rehabilitation.
The non-profit organization was founded in 2016 and is located on 4-acres in east Bend. The Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center opened in 2020 for native wildlife care for Central and parts of Eastern Oregon. Although permitted through ODFW and the USFWS, Think Wild is a non-profit that is entirely funded through private donations and grants. We do not receive any government funding.
Think Wild's main programs include:
• Wildlife Hospital - rescue and rehabilitation of injured/orphaned wildlife
• Wildlife Hotline - answer wildlife-related questions and respond to cases of injured and orphaned wildlife
• Think Wild Education- workshops, events and programming for local schools, businesses, organizations and the public
• Wildlife Habitat and Conflict Services - humane wildlife conflict mitigation and wildlife-friendly property installations and advising
• Beaver Works Oregon- supporting beaver on our Oregon High Desert landscape
THINK WILD'S VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY
• A wildlife hospital to treat and rehabilitate native birds and mammals – providing species-specific care for birds and animals that become orphaned or injured so they can be successfully released back to the wild.
• A voice for native wildlife to strengthen advocacy for conservation – applying what we have learned from years of wildlife care to inform the community on man-made hazards in our growing, urban landscape, and advising on local and regional policies to reduce threats to wildlife.
• An education hub to teach and inspire the public to live respectfully with urban wildlife – responding to thousands of annual inquiries regarding orphaned or injured wildlife, and offering Think Wild Education, including online resources.
OUR VALUES
• Focus on prevention through education
• Foster respectful, productive partnerships with regulating agencies and individual rehabbers in the region
• Provide humane care that complies with regulating agency requirements
• Commitment to goal of releasing each viable animal back into the wild
• Maintain an efficient operating budget with substantial allocation dedicated to program support
• Be transparent in everything we do
Watch Trailer for "Bridging the Gap," by Elif Koyuturk, a Short Film about Think Wild
Official Selection of the Bend Film Festival and LA Women's Film Festival