Practical Wildlife Care
Niobe Hennigan
Wildlife care and rehabilitation is often on a one-to-one basis and involves a lot of time, care and skill. However, for many years, care of injured wildlife was regarded as a low priority and euthanasia was the recommended option. A lot has changed over the past twenty years and now caring for wildlife casualties is part of everyday life in many veterinary practices.
by Les Stocker
September 2005
Wildlife care and rehabilitation is often on a one-to-one basis and involves a lot of time, care and skill. However, for many years, care of injured wildlife was regarded as a low priority and euthanasia was the recommended option. A lot has changed over the past twenty years and now caring for wildlife casualties is part of everyday life in many veterinary practices.
Send your thoughts to Letters to the Editor. Learn moreJune 4, 2024Share on FacebookShare on TwitterEmail to a friendPrint A long-standing joke asks why the chicken crossed the road, with the obvious and slightly amusing rejoinder, "To get to the other side." But the chance meeting of animals and autos is no laughing matter, as the World Wildlife Fund points out: "Vehicles collide with large animals 1-2 million times every year in the U.S., resulting in more than $8 billion in costs and 200 human deaths."
"What I truly love about the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing isn't really its physical size, but its large impact in inspiring a new age of wildlife crossings," said Beth Pratt, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation's California Regional Center. "If the Los Angeles area can do it, nowhere else has any excuse."
There are some 1,500 wildlife crossing structures in 43 U.S. states, which may at first sound impressive. However, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are also more than 4 million miles of American highways and roads.
Noting the expense of vehicle collisions with wildlife, Pratt said, "If we invested even a fraction of that amount annually, we would be able to start accelerating these projects, and also help save money by avoiding these collisions in the first place."
In mid-April, the Utah Department of Transportation nixed a wildlife crossing on the highway leading into Park City, a stretch of road the advocacy group Save People Save Wildlife said 30,000 cars travel each day. A UDOT official stated the agency is nonetheless "committed to looking at other potential solutions, while cutting down on wildlife-vehicle collisions."
"Animals are not mere things or tools to do with as we please. That idea comes from a consumerist throwaway culture," Camosy said. "A Catholic theological approach insists that God's will, as revealed in sacred Scripture, is that human and non-human animals are to live together in mutuality. Indeed, in Genesis (chapter) 2, animals are brought to Adam because 'it is not good man should be alone.'"
"We are not God," the pontiff cautioned. "Nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God's image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures."
"I think they are great, practical examples of what it means to plan and live as if God's creation does not belong to us," Camosy said, "but rather that we are stewards of God's creation and have a duty to help God's creatures flourish according to their kinds."
"The pope's encyclical Laudato Si' was an urgent call to every person living on the planet to reassess our relationship with the Earth and God's creation, including animals," Holtz said. "Wildlife crossings are not merely a 'kind' thing to do for animals, but rather part of our duty as people of faith to build a compassionate world for all the Earth's inhabitants."
The Code Development Committee and the Scientific Committee work together to develop a science- and consensus-based Code. The result is a Code that is scientifically informed, practical, and reflects societal expectations for responsible farm animal care.
Broad representation and expertise on each Code Development Committee ensures collaborative Code development. The Code development process fosters relationships and understanding amongst all partners involved in farmed animal care.
Stakeholder commitment is key to ensure quality animal care standards are established and implemented. Stakeholders include farmers/producers, transporters, veterinarians, animal welfare and enforcement agencies, retail and food service organizations, processors, governments and researchers.
The development of new Codes and Code revisions follow specific steps that are designed to make the process transparent, collaborative, science and consensus-based, and participative. Click here to view the steps.
Codes of Practice are intended to promote sound management and welfare practices through recommendations and requirements for housing, care, transportation, processing and other animal husbandry practices. Codes serve as educational tools, reference materials for regulations, and the foundation for animal care assessment programs.
Requirements - These refer to either a regulatory requirement, or an industry imposed expectation outlining acceptable and unacceptable practices and are fundamental obligations relating to the care of animals. Requirements represent a consensus position that these measures, at minimum, are to be implemented by all persons responsible for farm animal care. When included as part of an assessment program, those who fail to implement Requirements may be compelled by industry associations to undertake corrective measures, or risk a loss of market options. Requirements also may be enforceable under federal and provincial regulation.
In addition to liberal arts foundation courses and a specific seminar on captive wildlife care, students study various courses in animal health, training, and handling; enrichment and exhibit design; and wildlife conservation and preservation.
Through hands-on learning, students gain the experience and skills needed to become a wildlife care professional employed in a zoo, aquarium, museum, rehabilitation clinic, or other facility housing captive wildlife.
Your online education should be affordable and manageable. Our team of distance education concierges will work with you through the admissions process to help you plan and pay for your degree. Learn more about the costs here.
Our comprehensive 120-credit program can be tailored to fit your schedule and goals! Completion time is flexible, determined by the number of credits you choose to take each term (8 terms/year) and less time with transfer credits. Without transfer credits, you can anticipate the following completion times:
Personalized Guidance: Benefit from individualized academic and professional advising, where we are dedicated to turning your career and academic aspirations into tangible achievements.
Transfer-Friendly: Shorten your academic timeline, since we accept up to 90 credits to value your prior academic achievements.
Unlock the power of scientific communication with Dr. Megan Linske! In the dynamic world of research, effective outreach is key, and Dr. Linske is your guide to mastering it. With a background in public outreach for the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Megan not only conducts groundbreaking research but also translates complex findings into accessible insights.
As a seasoned communicator, Megan enriches her students with the art of conveying research knowledge. Ready to bridge the gap between science and the public? Join Dr. Linske in decoding the secrets of impactful communication in the realm of conservation and experimentation!
Many animals brought into rehabilitation centers cannot be saved. The last gift we can give is humane euthanasia. We will discuss when this gift is necessary. We tackle this tough subject because it is a necessary part of wildlife rehabilitation. Additionally, we will have discussions on self-care so rehabilitators can continue this vital work while being mentally healthy.
The Center for Animal Welfare provides guidance on animal welfare issues to regulated and non-regulated stakeholders. Our diverse network of partners and experts serve as the national resource for policy analysis, education and outreach, and science and technology in support of the Animal Welfare and Horse Protection Acts. We partner with U.S. and international experts to provide accurate, unbiased, science-based information.
Led by Dr. Martha Keller, DVM, MS, DACAW, the Center features a team of specialists with expertise in a wide range of animal species. We are available to provide advice and best practices not only to APHIS but also other Federal agencies, stakeholders, cooperatives, universities, State and local governments, and other countries. We also provide leadership on the safety and well-being of animals during emergencies. Additionally, we provide leadership and current information on the latest in animal welfare science and technology and help analyze animal care-related policies.
The USDA APHIS Center for Animal Welfare hosted a 2-day Bat Welfare Symposium on April 10-12, 2024. This virtual event addressed the proper care and welfare considerations for captive and wild bats. Speakers covered a wide range of topics focusing on general improvements to health and welfare, managing bat populations, bat transportation, ensuring proper nutrition, welfare during rehabilitation, and anthropogenic issues affecting bat welfare. Anyone who attended the event can continue to engage on the event community dashboard with the use of this link: Bat Welfare Symposium (whova.com)
In 2023, the Center for Animal Welfare organized and hosted a 2-day event, which addressed health and welfare concerns during transportation for animals covered under the Animal Welfare Act. Guest and internal speakers covered a wide range of welfare issues on species ranging from zoo animals to marine mammals, to pets and their welfare during both ground and air transportation. All recorded sessions are listed below and available for viewing on APHIS YouTube.
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