Blizzard, a prized resident white raven living at Errington's North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, passed away on Monday, July 28. (NIWRC)

By Ian Holmes

significant loss

‘It’s just so sad’: rare white raven suddenly passes away at Errington wildlife sanctuary

Jul 29, 2025 | 3:18 PM

ERRINGTON — A strikingly unique bird beloved by visitors, staff and volunteers at a renowned Oceanside area wildlife refuge has unexpectedly passed away.

Blizzard, a popular white raven, was discovered deceased in its cage on Monday, July 28, representing a tough setback for the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre. (NIWRC)

Sylvia Campbell, co-founder of the non-profit, said it has been a difficult couple of days processing what occurred.

“It’s just so sad when one of them passes away, and we don’t know why Blizzard passed away, but we are going to do an autopsy to see if there’s anything we need to look into,” Campbell told NanaimoNewsNOW.

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Blizzard was one of two white ravens on display at NIWRC.

Opal continues to be viewable, while Buddy, also a non-releasable white Raven, isn’t suitable for public viewing.

Unique to the local area, what is commonly referred to as the Oceanside Sacred White Raven population exists in extremely small numbers.

Not a true albino, the leucistic ravens are afflicted with genetic disadvantages and typically don’t make it to adulthood, Campbell noted.

A young Blizzard was found in the spring of 2021, emaciated in the local Errington area and managed to build up its strength and flourish in subsequent years.

Blizzard fought back from a potentially life-threatening infected leg early on during his arduous recovery efforts.

“When they come in, they go through this regime of antibiotics and tube feeding and all kinds of things to bring up their metabolism. The first year is terribly difficult to make sure they survive, and so when they do it’s pretty amazing,” Campbell said.

A mix of about 40 permanent and release-worthy animals are on display at NIWRC, located on Leffler Rd. in Errington, including bears, various small birds and raptors.

Information on donating to or volunteering at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre can be found here.

The facility is open for a fee to view the animals from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Blizzard could mimic basic commands, such as ‘hello’ to people. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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