We loved cheering on the champions of Fat Bear Week! While the bears of Brooks River are masters of the pre-winter gorge, the heavy eating here at Gold Country Wildlife Rescue (GCWR) has only just begun. The successful fattening of wild bears is a natural and vital process—and right now, we’re working non-stop to ensure our wild patients (bears and all!) can do the same.
Big Appetites, Big Needs
We currently have over 250 animals in our care, and their need for specific, high-quality food is critical. Though our peak baby season is wrapping up, that doesn’t mean our workload shrinks. In fact, we are now caring for a higher number of adult wildlife, which simply means bigger mouths to feed throughout the rest of the fall and winter.
The Hyperphagia Challenge
The most ravenous patients of all are our six young Black Bear cubs. They are deep into hyperphagia, the critical stage where they must eat continuously to pack on the necessary fat reserves that will sustain them through a winter. Maintaining this high-calorie diet is essential for their survival, and the cost of specialized bear food is substantial.
You Should Never Feed Wildlife... Unless You're Helping Us!
The public message is always clear: Do NOT feed wildlife in the wild. Feeding wild animals can be incredibly dangerous for them and for people.
However, donating to us is a safe, fun, and life-changing way to get the experience to feed wildlife that are in need of a helping hand while they recover in our care!
We are kicking off our Fall Food Drive to meet this massive demand. Every donation ensures that all of our patients—from the smallest hummingbird to our growing bear cubs—get the precise nutrition they need to gain strength, grow, and be strong enough for their release back to the wild.
Help us feed the wild ones in our care!
Your support ensures their plates stay full and their chances of a successful return to nature are maximized.
Below is the grocery list of things we are in need of right now, and likely will be needing throughout the season. Food items should be human-grade/human-consumable, but that doesn’t mean these items have to come from the grocery store! If you are lucky enough to have an abundance in your garden, or have goods from foraging or hunting that you’d like to share, we’d be grateful recipients! If donating meat, fresh or frozen is just fine. Only the items on this list are what we can accept, while that might seem picky there are reasons why we request specific items, so please stick to the list (that includes types of fish we are able to use).
Items can be delivered to our Wildlife Intake Center between 9am – 4pm daily!
Gold Country Wildlife Rescue
11251 B Avenue
Auburn, CA 95603
If you live outside the area but still want to donate, DoorDash and other grocery delivery services are welcome to deliver to us as well! Please just be sure they deliver inside the 9am-4pm window daily. 🚙💨Sharing this story with other is another great way to help support our mission to care for orphaned, injured, and sick wildlife.
Together we can make a difference and help all the animals in our care prepare for winter by supporting them with nutritious snacks!
