Laura Kirk, director of animal care at the Fox Valley Wildlife Center, speaks about Zihna, a red-tailed hawk, during the 4th annual "Wild About Wildlife" fundraiser at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles on Sunday.
Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
The Fox Valley Wildlife Center's mission includes providing care and a temporary home to injured and sick wild animals from around the region.
The center's staff says that mission will become easier and more effective once they have a home themselves.
With that goal in mind, the center hosted its 4th annual "Wild About Wildlife" fundraiser at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles.
The center currently uses a leased space on a Kane County Forest Preserve property, but its staff hopes to get a new space designed specifically to meet its goals of rehabilitating wildlife and releasing it back into the wild.
The fundraiser Sunday included homemade chili and cheese soup, along with sweets such as sugared doughnuts and free popcorn.
Staff also displayed several animals to visitors, including Lucy the Canada goose, Zihna the red-tailed hawk, Toby the turtle and Ciega, a Virginia opossum.
Lizzy Titus, 11, of Geneva pets Ciega, a Virginia opossum, on Sunday during the Fox Valley Wildlife Center's 4th annual "Wild About Wildlife" fundraiser at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles.
Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
Campton Township resident Vlasta Renwick pets Wooka, a Northern Flicker, during the Fox Valley Wildlife Center's 4th annual "Wild About Wildlife" fundraiser on Sunday at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles.
Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com
Cari Jerdee and her daughters Sarah, 10, and Anna, 13, of Geneva visit the silent auction table Sunday during at The Fox Valley Wildlife Center's 4th annual "Wild About Wildlife" fundraiser at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles.
Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com