These bobcats are just two of the animals who have been helped at The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center. © Raymond Eubanks/The FFA

The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center is located in northeast San Diego County in Ramona, Calif. The 13-acre facility provides medical and rehabilitative care for native predatory species of wild mammals and birds. A fully equipped medical center and trained staff and volunteers insure that the special needs of the ill, injured, or orphaned wildlife can be met year-round.

The center specializes in hawks, owls, eagles, skunks, coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lions. A 150-foot free flight enclosure enables birds of prey—from Cooper's Hawks to Golden Eagles—to exercise their atrophied muscles after recovering from illness or injury. Once rehabilitated, the birds are released back into their home territory. 
 
Enclosures for mammals are spacious and comfortable, allowing the orphaned youngsters and injured adults to get plenty of exercise and same-species companionship with minimal human contact. Young animals are raised to learn their species-specific behaviors so they develop the survival skills necessary for life in the wild. Sick or injured adults are offered a safe retreat to recuperate until they are well enough to once again fend for themselves. Once healed, the adults are released back into the areas from which they came to keep naturally occurring populations in balance.