What Does a Wildlife Rehabilitator Do?
A wildlife rehabilitator is like a paramedic, a laboratory technician, a nurse, a dietician, and a physical therapist all rolled into one. We are like the ambulance team that first sees accident victims and treats them for shock, immobilizes fractures so they don’t get any worse before the doctor can see them, takes blood and analyzes it, looks for parasites and treats them, gives shots or other medications, cleans wounds and bandages them, determines the appropriate diet for each animal, and makes sure they are in top physical condition before they are released, through appropriate exercise and training. We work very closely with veterinarians, who take the x-rays and perform any necessary surgery, but there are so many wild animals that get hurt every year that veterinarians who normally take care of your pets or farm animals simply do not have the time to give wildlife the same kind of care. The veterinarians do the kinds of treatments that only they know how to do, and rehabilitato
A wildlife rehabilitator is typically a volunteer who takes injured or baby native animals into her home, where she cares for the animals until they are strong enough to be released into the wild. In many countries, including the United States and Australia, a wildlife rehabilitator must take a written test to demonstrate knowledge about caring for wildlife, which results in a permit. When someone is officially registered as a wildlife rehabilitator, her name and telephone number are publicly listed in a directory, so that anyone who finds an abandoned or injured animal can bring the animal in for help.
