Alexis Broz didn’t grow up thinking she’d become a wildlife rehabilitator. But when a baby squirrel slid across a restaurant patio toward a petrified customer, Alexis scooped it up and didn’t look back. That moment set her on a path of rescuing, raising, and returning animals to the wild. From squirrels and pigeons to otters and beavers, Alexis has rehabilitated and released hundreds of animals in New York. In this episode, she shares how she became a wildlife rehabilitator, what it’s like to care for wild animals around the clock, and how a beaver named Bo became the Branch Manager of her nonprofit, Wild for Life, Inc.
(This episode was recorded in spring 2025.)
“People always call me and they say, ‘Somebody do something, somebody come get this [animal]. Somebody come help.’ And I always want to say, ‘You are somebody. You're capable.’”
Hear Alexis talk about:
- How rescuing one baby squirrel at work changed her life
- What it takes to legally rehabilitate wildlife in New York
- How her bathtub was key to caring for an orphaned beaver
- Her day to day caring for multiple animals
- Why she believes beavers are misunderstood environmental superheroes
Mentioned in this episode:
- Wild for Life, Inc. Alexis’s wildlife rescue nonprofit
- North Country Wild Care, her local volunteer rehabber network where she is a board member
- Animal Help Now app Alexis mentions to find wildlife rehabbers near you
- The Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital at Cornell, her veterinary partner and resource
- Follow Alexis on TikTok and Instagram @WildlifeAlexis
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- Share the episode and tag @rainemediaco
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