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Red Deer woman saving animals at wildlife centre with TV show

Victoria Bolhuis, 22, interned at Hope for Wildlife for 10 weeks before moving into paid position
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Victoria Bolhuis with Frankie, a fox kit hit by a car, at Hope for Wildlife, a non-profit wildlife rehabilitation and education centre in Nova Scotia where she interned for nine weeks this summer. (Contributed photo)

A Red Deer woman is taking care of animals in front of TV cameras at a wildlife centre in Nova Scotia.

Victoria Bolhuis, 22, interned at Hope for Wildlife, a non-profit wildlife rehabilitation and education centre featured in the reality TV series Hope for Wildlife, for 10 weeks this summer. She is now working there in a paid position on a six-month contract.

Bolhuis said she applied to intern at Hope for Wildlife because her parents watch the series, which has seven seasons and has been broadcasted on various TV channels in more than 140 countries.

“I’ve always loved animals and wanted to work with animals,” said Bolhuis, who has a B.Sc. in Animal Health from the University of Alberta. “I ended up applying here on the suggestion of my parents … and it just kind of happened.”

Bolhuis works with injured and distressed wildlife at the centre. Working with film crews in the room is a unique experience, she said.

“It’s very different. There are a lot of interesting things you have to do that involve making sure the camera can see something or trying to make sure the film crew is around for exciting things,” she said.

Bolhuis hasn’t had to speak on camera for the show yet. She said she can’t tell if she’s nervous or excited to potentially speak on camera.

“It depends on what they have me speaking about,” she said. “If I’m talking about something I know very well, I’ll look forward to it.”

In 1997 Hope Swinimer founded Hope for Wildlife, then called The Eastern Shore Wildlife Rehabilitation and Rescue Centre. Since being founded the centre has rescued, rehabilitated and released more than 40,000 injured and orphaned wild animals representing 250-plus species.

Swinimer “is an amazing person. She has the biggest heart and the most compassionate soul,” Bolhuis said. “She started this place with her bare hands and what she’s done here is truly awe inspiring.”

For more information on the centre, visit www.hopeforwildlife.net.



sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com

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Sean McIntosh

About the Author: Sean McIntosh

Sean joined the Red Deer Advocate team in the summer of 2017. Originally from Ontario, he worked in a small town of 2,000 in Saskatchewan for seven months before coming to Central Alberta.
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