Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Carlsbad, Eastern NM
Wildlife rehabilitation center in Carlsbad providing medical care for injured and orphaned native wildlife across southeastern New Mexico, including a full surgery area.
About
Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation organization based in Carlsbad, New Mexico, dedicated to the care of injured and orphaned native wildlife in southeastern New Mexico. Located on East Fiesta Street, the center provides specialized medical treatment and rehabilitation for a wide range of native species, from songbirds and small mammals to birds of prey, reptiles, and other wildlife indigenous to the Chihuahuan Desert region.
The organization's facility includes a full surgery area, allowing veterinary professionals and trained rehabilitators to perform surgical interventions for animals with injuries that would not otherwise survive without medical care. This level of infrastructure distinguishes Desert Willow from smaller wildlife care operations and allows the center to take on more complex and serious cases from across southeastern New Mexico.
Animals in rehabilitation receive care appropriate to their species and the nature of their injuries, with the goal of returning them to the wild whenever possible. When an animal's injuries prevent release, the center may retain it for educational use or seek placement with a licensed facility. Public education about native wildlife, the hazards animals face from human activity, and how to respond when encountering injured wildlife is part of the organization's broader mission.
The Carlsbad area sits near Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the Guadalupe Mountains within a biologically rich region with significant native wildlife diversity. Desert Willow fills a critical gap in the southeastern corner of the state, where wildlife rehabilitation resources are otherwise scarce and the nearest alternatives are many hours away.
