In the three short years since its launch, the young association has made incredible progress. But more help is needed.
The Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region is home to 85% of the mammal species found in mainland France, more than two-thirds of its reptile species and over half of its bird species. Yet the Var has no dedicated multi-species centre to care for its injured wildlife. For an injured hedgehog, a grounded swift or a distressed gull found in the Var, receiving specialist care can mean a long journey to Buoux in the Vaucluse, or other facilities further afield in the Alpes-Maritimes.
But help is near. Founded by Dr. Alice Brunet and Jennifer Jolicard (both pictured below), Totem PACA’s declared mission is to fill the void and to provide local fauna in distress much-needed veterinary care. One major step is the planned centre in Le Pradet, which progresses towards construction and will include a clinic.
Photo © Association TOTEM PACA
The calls and animals reaching Totem reflect just how dire the need is. In nearly three years, its SOS Faune Sauvage line has received more than 5,900 requests for help, with more than 3,000 in 2026 alone. This summer, the association’s swift relay cared for more than 750 birds, around twice as many as in the previous season. But lacking appropriate facilities, Totem cannot always provide the care or transport callers need.
“We have the land, the building permit, and most of the funding: all we need now is this final collective effort to finally open the doors of this wildlife centre and give the wildlife of the Var the facility it deserves,” explains Totem’s president Alice Brunet. As a veterinarian, she is well-placed to judge the impact this facility will have not only on sick or distressed animals but on the wellbeing of the wildlife population at large. As well as treating individual animals, it will help build knowledge of wildlife health and support disease monitoring.
The new centre is well on its way. To push the project over the finishing line, Totem launched a crowdfunding campaign on HelloAsso on 1 October 2026 to raise the final €106,000 needed for the first phase of work. With 76% of the phase-one budget secured, and the campaign’s first €10,000 target already reached, the remaining targets each correspond to a specific part of the centre’s facilities.
The centre is expected to open progressively during 2027. Totem anticipates caring for about 1,200 animals in its first year, with that number rising to between 2,500 and 3,000 annually in subsequent years. Initial admissions are expected to include swifts and swallows, gulls, hedgehogs, bats, and passerine birds, with care extended over time to other species.
Six targets, practical outcomes
Video via Association TOTEM on YouTube
The €106,000 campaign is divided into six funding targets. Each one supports a specific part of the first phase, from emergency care and public guidance to rehabilitation facilities and wastewater treatment.
The first target, €10,000, funds a consultation room for urgent treatment and a dedicated space for the SOS Faune Sauvage phone service. The service guides members of the public and businesses on how to live alongside wildlife and what to do when an animal is in distress. The first target has been reached.
At €20,000, the campaign will fund enclosures for small mammals. The €40,000 target will support rehabilitation aviaries for small passerines and gulls. Reaching €60,000 will fund rehabilitation aviaries for small birds of prey, while €80,000 will provide two equipped hospitalisation rooms. The final target of €106,000 will fund a phytopurification system to treat the centre’s grey water and complete the first-phase budget.
Donations are open to individuals and businesses. Totem is offering thank-you gifts, including a place on its acknowledgements wall, Totem merchandise created with artists, and entry into a draw for a limited-edition artwork.
Building capacity for the future
Courtesy Association Totem PACA on Instagram
Completing the first phase will allow the centre to care for different species in appropriate conditions, including animals that need time and space to recover before release. But for Totem, the centre is also part of a broader effort to support wildlife through public education, training and scientific monitoring. The SOS Faune Sauvage line already offers advice to people who find animals in difficulty; the new facility would add a local place to receive and treat many of them. The centre is also intended to play a role in the response to accidental marine pollution, particularly in caring for waterbirds.
A small donation can do so much in a region whose natural habitat keeps getting reduced and more hostile to wildlife, and yet wildlife is such a critical part of the ecosystem all around us. Alice Brunet, Jennifer Jolicard, and their volunteers will not be able to save every life, but every shorter journey, every local treatment, and every animal getting a chance to recover is an important contribution to tomorrow’s healthy environment.
PHOTO CREDITS
- Lead image by Jonas Allert on Unsplash, licenced under the Unsplash License
- All other photos and posts as credited
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