Vancouver Aquarium opens marine mammal hospital building

The Vancouver Aquarium has opened a new hospital building for sick and injured marine mammals.

On Wednesday, it unveiled the facility at theMarine Mammal Rescue Centre aimed at rehabilitating sick, injured andorphaned animals.

"The hospital has been a long time coming," said Dr. Martin Haulena, head veterinarian and the centre's director.

Until the opening of the facility, he says medical procedures and surgeriestook place in a garden shed dubbed the "med shed".

"When the med shedcame here, fiveor sixyears ago, we thought it was the greatest med shed in the world compared to working out in the rain but it is small, cramped, cold particularly not conducive to more sterile procedures," he said.

This new space is a far cry from a garden storage space.

It housesan exam and surgical room which is equipped with an endoscope and X-ray.

In a news release, the aquarium says the entire cost of the$544,000 facility was funded by private donations.