Fox Valley Wildlife Center open house is Oct. 2

On Sunday, Oct. 2, stop by the annual open house for the Fox Valley Wildlife Center, 45W061 Route 38 in Elburn.

It is a licensed wildlife hospital and is unable to allow visitors during the busy spring and summer months as visitors would cause stress for the wildlife patients in its care. Only once a year, the doors of the wildlife center are opened for people to visit and see just what happens there on a day-to-day basis.

The open house will be from noon to 4 p.m. No tickets or reservations are needed.

Meet the education animals: Lucy, a Canada goose; Ciega, a Virginia opossum; Lancelot, a milk snake; Zephyr, an Eastern screech owl; and Zihna, a red-tailed hawk, will be a few of the animals that are looking forward to meeting you.

Visitors can take a self-guided tour and visit the hospital to see where they care for the babies and injured wildlife. They can explore the outdoor area and visit with Yodi, the coyote.

Staff and volunteers will be available to answer questions about wildlife, volunteering and more.

Kids can paint a pumpkin, play Bozo buckets, enjoy face painting, join a treasure hunt, take a pie walk and more. Enjoy dessert from the bakery booth along with a cup of apple cider, purchase a Fox Valley Wildlife Center sweatshirt and top off the day with a bag of popcorn. Kane County Mounted Police will be present to answer questions and for photos and Midwest Museum of Natural History will bring some education reptile ambassadors.

Fox Valley Wildlife Center is a volunteer 501(c)3 corporation receiving no federal, state or local funding. It exists through the generous donations of the public. Visit www.fvwc.org.