August 13, 2007     Christian Webber - The Daily News

A Japanese couple have been touched by the work of Nancy and Gunther Golinia, who operate the Prince Rupert Wildlife Rehab Shelter, and they hope to carry what they've learned back to their own country.

Yudai and Yoshie Hisanaga recently traveled from Japan to British Columbia, visiting animal shelters along the way, hoping to learn how to set up wildlife shelters in their own country as well as promote their new wildlife website. Their web site promotes zoos and aquariums along with wildlife conservation. At first, the purpose of their trip to northwestern B.C. was to visit Smithers to see wildlife. "When we stayed at the B&B, the owners told us that their friends own the wildlife rehabilitation facility (in Smithers.) So we visited them and talked to Angelika and Peter who rescue animals and take care of them to release in to the wild", said the couple. They said that Peter explained to them that one of the moose currently at the Smither's shelter is from Prince Rupert. He added that there are also people in Prince Rupert who have a rehab program and do a lot of work, especially with birds.

This chance encounter led them to Tobbi Gjelsvik, who took them on a tour of the Prince Rupert Wildlife Rehab Shelter. "We were so touched by knowing the people who dedicate to save animals' lives. And we were surprised that Nancy and Gunther (Golinia) can communicate with animals, not just one species but several ones, so well" said Yoshie Hisanaga. They noted that the facilities here are geared towards animal care, adding it is probably the Golinia's years of experience that made it possible to build them this way. Yudai Hisanaga said that they were also both impressed with Gjelsvik's roll on the shelter's board of directors, taking a role publicity, funding and all the other support the Golinias need.

In Japan, wildlife education and rehabilitation are new issues that are under study. Most of its government-funded institutions are intended to rescue the domestic animals so far, said Hisanaga. Yudai, who is from Kagoshima, the southern part of Japan, where the active volcano can be seen from the downtown and Yoshie, who is from Chiba prefecture, next to Tokyo, said they would like the shelter to be noticed by more people all over the world and share the useful information they learned during their visit. The work the Hisanaga's were observing is a new field and there are no books to exactly explain what the Golinias are doing and what they experience.

The Hisanaga's website is also a new thing. They said their target is the people who do not have wildlife in mind during their day-to-day life. "That is why we promote the zoos and aquariums. At those places, we can see the interaction between people and animals. We see a lot of beautiful faces fascinated by watching the animals" said Hisanaga.

    Yudai and Yoshie Hisanaga's website is located at http://www.animal-dino.com