Hawai‘i Wildlife Center Official Statement

October 1, 2020

To our Kohala Community,
We would like to respond to the recent rumors surrounding our intern and clear up any
misunderstandings.
Hawai‘i Wildlife Center is the only native bird and bat hospital in the state. We are gearing up for
seabird fallout season, which means we will have hundreds of native seabirds falling under our care in
the upcoming months. Normally we only have two staff members in our hospital, so we do have an
intern arriving to help with wildlife response and care. This intern will be required to follow all
quaratine and COVID rules set forth by the State and County. She will be quarantining for 14
days before starting at HWC.
This is a part of our ongoing internship program, which provides additional wildlife care experience to
individuals who meet the program requirements. A majority of our interns have been local, but interns
from outside of the state are also welcome to apply. We put out an email to our volunteer team to see if
anyone would be comfortable to pick her up with masking and distancing measures in place. That way
our veterinarian would instead be able to use the time for patient treatment. However this was only if
anyone was comfortable, it was not forced or mandatory in any way.
As a hospital facility, weʻve had strict protocols in place since March and we take them seriously to
protect our staff, volunteers and community and so that we can continue to provide critical care for
native wildlife.
We also wanted to note that, in addition to agreeing to follow all COVID rules, this intern is giving up a
lot to help save our native birds. She is paying her own way here, found her own lodging, and is
completely volunteering her time and expertise to help us with our patients. We are grateful for her
kōkua and hope our community will regard her with aloha.
If you ever have any concerns, please do not hestiate to contact us directly for information or
clarification. Please be assured that all quarantine rules are being followed and help us assure the rest
of the community as well. Weʻre a small close-knit community and everyone looks out for each other.
We appreciate your support during this time.
Best,
Linda Elliott
Linda Elliott
President and Center Director