ABOUT US
Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue was created to fill a critical gap in Northern Ontario wildlife care. With support from the City of Thunder Bay and community partners, we established a permanent base for bird of prey rescue & rehabilitation at Chippewa Wildlife Park.
Jenn Salo
Founder of Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue
Jenn Salo is the founder and licensed wildlife custodian behind Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue, Thunder Bay’s only dedicated rehabilitation service for injured and orphaned birds of prey. Her work focuses on owls, hawks, eagles, falcons, and other raptors, providing specialized care, medical support, and a safe path back to the wild.
Her commitment to wildlife began with early rescue experiences and has grown into a full-time mission to address the human-caused injuries that affect most of the birds she treats. From window strikes to vehicle collisions, Jenn advocates for simple, effective prevention measures and community education to reduce harm.
As the driving force behind TWR’s development at the Chippewa site, she is leading the transformation of the former wildlife exhibit into a functional rehabilitation facility and future sanctuary space. While Jenn is the founder and primary caregiver, she is supported by a dedicated team of volunteers and board members who help keep the organization running, from rescue support and public outreach to fundraising, administration, and daily operations.
Her ultimate vision is a sanctuary where people and animals can connect, heal, and learn, fostering a deeper respect for wildlife and nature.
Board of Directors
Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue is a fully volunteer‑run, registered charity powered by a small but committed team. The board provides governance, planning, and oversight, ensuring the organization remains sustainable and aligned with its mission to protect and rehabilitate local wildlife.
Volunteers are the heart of TWR’s daily operations. They assist with rescues and transport, manage supplies and donations, support fundraising and community events, and help maintain the developing Chippewa site. Their dedication makes it possible for TWR to provide year‑round care for injured birds of prey and to expand its impact across the Thunder Bay region.
Ambassador Birds
Birds of prey are powerful ambassadors for conservation and wildlife education. When used in outreach programs to help people experience the majesty of these predators up close, it can inspire lasting connections that foster curiosity and a respect for nature. Their presence brings lessons about ecosystems, biodiversity, and the critical role of apex predators to life in a way that books and screens cannot.
By engaging communities through live demonstrations and educational talks, these birds cultivate an awareness of habitat preservation, responsible coexistence, and the importance of rehabilitation efforts. They turn abstract concepts into tangible experiences, sparking a sense of stewardship and motivating action to protect wildlife and the environments we share.
Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue uses captive-bred birds as our educational ambassadors because they are carefully trained with falconry techniques to showcase natural behaviors safely and help us engage with the public. Raised alongside humans from a young age, these birds remain calm and stress-free during public interactions - unlike wild counterparts that could suffer harm from fear or handling that causes too much stress to the bird. This human-adapted nature allows them to thrive in education programs, forging strong bonds that bring wildlife conservation messages to life without compromising animal welfare.
PICKLES
Peregrine Falcon
Pickles is a 2 yr old male peregrine falcon.
He displays the iconic blue-steel colour, big dark eyes and masked face that make these birds recognizable around the world. Their incredible beauty, speed and precision in flight capture the attention of most people, creating an opportunity to talk about predators, food webs, and the importance of conservation efforts.
Peregrines are a powerful reminder of the effects humans can have on wildlife; the good and the bad. Due to a common pesticide that was used in the agricultural industry, the entire North American population of peregrine falcons faced a near total collapse from the run off effects in the environment. The recovery of the peregrine falcon population highlights the important roles of government in creating protective laws, and how scientists, falconers and citizen volunteers, worked together to save a species. Today, peregrines remind us of how humans can both harm and heal an ecosystem and that we must be ever vigilant of our own actions as a species.
NYMAARI
Female Harris’s Hawk
Nymaari is a 9 yr old female Harris’s Hawk. Her dark brown plumage, long black tail with white tip and the reddish hue of their wings point to why they are also known as the “bay winged hawk”. Harris’s hawks are well known for their social behaviour. Unlike other hawk species, Harris’s hawks form social family groups and hunt cooperatively to bring down larger prey in their desert habitat. She has a much higher heat tolerance than our native hawk species and because of her social nature is a great addition to our summer flying team.
Because Harris’s hawks are also relatively calm and responsive to training, they are widely used in falconry and public programs, allowing people to see these adaptations up close and connect abstract ideas like ecosystem balance, climate stress, and habitat loss to a living, charismatic bird.
MOCHI
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Mochi is a 1 year old Eurasian Eagle Owl. She started out looking like a dirty piece of lint with big googly eyes but within the span of mere months, morphed into the majestic, orange eyed beauty she is today. I received her from a zoo in southern Ontario when she was only a few weeks old and hand raised her with my dogs and my kids helping her become adapted to the rigours of a human based social life. We decided that Mochi was a better suited name to her in her adult form as she developed a wonderful, soft, sweet personality just like her namesake.
Some of you may remember the incident in January 2026. Mochi was a victim of one of my outdoor enclosures that collapsed from the weight of the snow during the coldest week of our entire winter. She was lost for more than a week, but with the help of the community of concerned friends and strangers alike keeping tabs on her whereabouts, I was able to safely get her back home. She gives people an opportunity to meet an apex nocturnal predator up close and personal, and we love her for it!
Contact Us
Where We Operate:
We serve Thunder Bay and surrounding communities across the Northwest, partnering with local agencies and wildlife custodians.
Licensing & Compliance:
TWR operates under Ontario’s wildlife rehabilitation framework and coordinates with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).
Learn more: https://www.ontario.ca/page/wildlife-and-nature