Wild Instincts His(& Her)story
After many years of dedicated professional wildlife rehabilitation, Mark Naniot and his wife, Sharon Larson, suddenly found themselves without a rehab facility so they built Wild Instincts, quite literally.
The property they purchased had a small garage in which they treated 311 patients the first year with no running water and a porta-potty in the parking lot. Whatever time was not spent on animal care was spent on constructing a facility capable of treating over a thousand patients annually from over 100 different species.
Since 1998 they have treated over 21,979 wild animals on their permits.
Meet the Wild Instincts Team
Mark Naniot
Co-founder, Director of Wildlife Rehabilitation
Mark Naniot has been active in the wildlife rehab community since getting lost walking home from kindergarten. An older neighbor kid was supposed to walk him home on the first day of kindergarten but did not. Like any five-year-old, Mark believed he could do it himself. But he got lost. He knocked on the door of a house to ask for help. The nice lady, Edie Johnston called his mom then asked him if he wanted to see her birds while they waited. She was a wildlife rehabber rehabbing from her home. Her home was just one street over from his. Mark was hooked and helped her every chance he got until he was 18 and could volunteer at a larger wildlife center.
Before coming to Rhinelander, he worked for Idaho Fish & Game as a Law Enforcement aid, USFS as a wildlife tech doing grizzly bear research and at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary.
He & his wife, Sharon, live off-the-grid in a solar home with their many dogs and two cats.
Mark is an advanced wildlife rehabber that served on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Rehabilitation Committee from 2000-2010 helping shape wildlife rehab in Wisconsin into a profession. He’s been an International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council instructor since 2010, sharing his knowledge and passion of wildlife rehab with students across the country. In May of 2015, Newsline 9 & Marshfield Clinics awarded Mark the Jefferson Award.
Sharon Larson
Co-founder, Director of Whatever-Needs-To-Happen
Sharon Larson knew when she was 11 she was either going to be a veterinarian or a wildlife biologist. She started working for Lakeview Animal Hospital in 1979 as a kennel person for Dr. Rory Foster, Dr. T.J. Dunn and Dr. Marty Smith. She continued working for Lakeview Animal Hospital which became Rhinelander Veterinary Medical Center while she attended University of WI-Stevens Point double majoring in wildlife management and biology with a pre-vet emphasis. At the same time, Dr. Rory Foster started a wildlife rehabilitation center nearby. After that she was working at a vet clinic and volunteering with wildlife rehabilitation. She also worked as a seasonal wildlife technician for the WDNR for over 15 years. She has found the perfect blend of the vet and wildlife professions in wildlife rehabilitation. After spending 35 years in vet clinics, she spends her time away from Wild Instincts training people to train their dogs. Sharon is an advanced wildlife rehabber that also does the behind-the-scenes administrative things that keep Wild Instincts running in addition to animal care.
Kaitlin Wikoff
Wildlife Rehabilitator (Advanced)
Kaitlin Wikoff came to Wild Instincts from University of Montana as a summer intern in 2017. She was asked back the next year as an Intern Supervisor. In 2019, she became Wild Instincts first full-time employee.
Originally from Oregon, Kaitlin has mostly adjusted to Northern Wisconsin winters and enjoys knitting, reading and spending time with her dog, Jukka.
Kaitlin is an advanced wildlife rehabber that also puts her museum prep skills from college to use constructing our education displays and specimens.
McKenna Brocco
Wildlife Rehabilitation Assistant
McKenna is the newest addition to the Wild Instincts Team, joining the staff in September 2023 after completing a summer/fall internship here in 2022.
Born and raised in Utah where the landscape has far less water and trees, she is adjusting to Wisconsin. She is excited to weather her first Wisconsin winter!
In her spare, time she enjoys birdwatching and embroidery.
McKenna is in the process of obtaining her basic rehabilitation permit and is excited to learn everything Wildlife Rehab.