Wildlife rehabilitation

A rescued baby eastern gray squirrel being fed using a syringe

Wildlife rehabilitation is the process of caring for injured, sick, orphaned, or displaced wild animals with the goal of releasing them back into their natural habitat. It involves medical treatment, temporary housing, and specialized care for a variety of species, from birds and mammals to reptiles and amphibians. Wildlife rehabilitation combines veterinary science, wildlife conservation, and animal welfare to ensure that animals have the best chance for recovery and survival after facing challenges such as injury, disease, or human interference.

In addition to caring for animals, wildlife rehabilitators often work to educate the public about conservation, habitat protection, and how to coexist with wildlife. They play an essential role in addressing the effects of human activities on wild animal populations, including habitat destruction, pollution, and vehicle collisions.

Process

Eastern screech owl with handler, rescued after an eye injury

Wildlife rehabilitation requires specialized knowledge and training in wildlife biology, veterinary medicine, and animal care. The process typically follows these steps:

Rescue: Rehabilitation begins when an animal is found and reported to a wildlife rehabilitator, or seized from the illegal wildlife trade or a poacher. If you find wildlife in need of rescue, it can be dangerous or even illegal to interact with the animal yourself; be sure to contact a licensed rehabilitator before taking action.

Assessment and Treatment: Upon arrival, the animal is examined by a trained wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian to determine the extent of the injury and the probability of successful rehabilitation. This can involve treating injuries, administering medication, and providing supportive care such as fluids and nutrition.

Rehabilitation: Once stabilized, the animal is placed in an appropriate setting where it can recover. This may include an aviary, enclosure, or pool, depending on the species. Animals undergo rehabilitation to regain their strength, mobility, and survival skills.

Release: When an animal is fully recovered, rehabilitators aim to release it into a suitable habitat close to where it was originally found. The release site is carefully chosen to ensure the animal can thrive in its environment.

Other Outcomes: In order to be released, an animals must be physically and mentally well and be able to survive on its own. Animals that cannot be rehabilitated are usually euthanized humanely, although animals are occasionally placed at facilities appropriately licensed for educational exhibit such as a zoo or nature center or be kept by the rehabilitator (under separate permit) as a surrogate parent for orphaned or injured young wildlife.

Preventing imprinting and habituation is important in the rehabilitation process. Imprinting occurs when a young animal, specifically young birds, begin to see the rehabilitator as their primary caregiver. It is possible to reverse this process in most animals, but it is permanent with birds. Rehabilitators have to take caution when caring for young animals in order to avoid this. It is critical to establish maintain boundaries between the rehabilitator and the animal. This includes wearing a mask and gloves around animals or even covering an animal's cage with a towel to prevent contact with humans.

Background

Old hunter Mazay rescuing stranded hares during snow melt floods, portrayed in a 19th-century poem by Nikolay Nekrasov, remains a favorite character with Russia's children

Early Practices Throughout history, various cultures have exhibited compassion toward injured animals, but wildlife rehabilitation as a specific practice began to emerge in the 20th century. In the early 1900s, conservationists and animal welfare advocates started to recognize the value of rescuing and rehabilitating injured wildlife. At this time, it was common for private individuals or veterinarians to care for wild animals in their homes with little formal training or regulatory oversight.

The Rise of Wildlife Conservation (Mid-20th Century) Wildlife rehabilitation became more organized during the mid-20th century, coinciding with growing global awareness of environmental issues and the need to protect biodiversity. After World War II, wildlife conservation became a major concern in the United States and other parts of the world, as habitats were destroyed by development, pollution, and industrial activities. Along with conservation efforts, the first wildlife rehabilitation centers began to emerge, focusing on treating injured or orphaned animals with the aim of releasing them back into the wild.

The U.S. saw the rise of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which played an important role in wildlife protection. It prohibited the capture, killing, or selling of migratory birds and laid the groundwork for more structured wildlife care, specifically for bird species. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, landmark conservation laws like the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Clean Water Act helped further establish a legal framework that encouraged wildlife preservation and, by extension, rehabilitation efforts.

The Lindsay Wildlife Experience, originally the Lindsay Wildlife Museum and Wildlife Hospital in Walnut Creek, California was the first wildlife hospital in the United States, opening in 1970.

Professionalization of Wildlife Rehabilitation (Late 20th Century) The field of wildlife rehabilitation began to professionalize in the 1980s and 1990s as more people became involved, and the need for standardized care practices became apparent. Organizations like the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC), founded in 1972, and the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA), founded in 1982, were instrumental in developing training programs, certifications, and best practices. These organizations provided education, support, and networking for wildlife rehabilitators, helping to establish wildlife rehabilitation as a recognized profession. In 1984, these two organizations collaborated to publish the Minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation.

As scientific understanding of wildlife behavior and veterinary medicine advanced, rehabilitators adopted more sophisticated techniques for treating injured animals. This era also saw the development of wildlife-specific veterinary practices and the establishment of wildlife rehabilitation as a key part of conservation programs.

Current Trends and Challenges Today, wildlife rehabilitation is a global practice, with centers and trained rehabilitators operating in many countries. Rehabilitators work closely with veterinarians, government agencies, and conservationists to care for animals and address the impact of human activities on wildlife populations. Rehabilitation efforts have expanded to include not only individual animal care but also broader roles in conservation, public education, and wildlife research.

Climate change, habitat destruction, and pollution continue to drive the need for wildlife rehabilitation. Rehabilitators often care for animals affected by oil spills, wildfires, and other environmental disasters. They also play a key role in managing wildlife diseases like West Nile Virus, avian influenza, and the spread of White-Nose Syndrome in bats.

However, wildlife rehabilitators face ongoing challenges, including limited funding, lack of resources, and the ethical dilemmas of when to euthanize severely injured or diseased animals. Despite these challenges, the field remains an essential part of modern conservation efforts.

Legal Considerations

Wildlife rehabilitation is regulated by governmental agencies to ensure the safety and welfare of both animals and rehabilitators. In many countries, including the United States and Australia, wildlife rehabilitation requires a license and/or permit(s). In the U.S., the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) oversees the rehabilitation of migratory birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, while state and local agencies regulate the care of other species. Rehabilitators must obtain permits to handle and care for wild animals, and they must follow strict guidelines regarding their treatment and release. In these countries, it is against the law to rehabilitate (or in some cases possess) a wild animal without permits. The only birds rehabilitators can admit without a federal permit are common birds considered to be introduced invasive species such as rock doves, European starlings, and house sparrows; although many licensed rehabilitation facilities cannot accept introduced species as a condition of their licensing. Not only is it illegal for many licensed wildlife rehabilitators to release non-native wildlife, most introduced species are harmful to native species and ecosystems

Services provided by wildlife rehabilitators

• Lessens biologists workload.
• Ensure humane and professional care of injured animals.
• Provides great help to professional wildlife handlers to help WDFW with wildlife cope-up with emergencies.
• Provides data and staff-power for areas of wildlife research and retrospective studies.
• Specialized in threat and endangered species recovery.
• Assists in monitoring disease and domestic animal protection and public health.
• Provides self-regulation and self-enforcement within the wildlife rehabilitator community.
• Provides valuable public education and clear understanding regarding securement of wildlife community and its necessary motives.

See also

• Wildlife rehabilitation and conservation centers

External links

• Publication for the public when they find wildlife in distress
• Minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation
• Wildlife Rehabilitation Manual