Home » Plants & Animals » Wildlife » Wildlife Rehabilitation and Refuges

Wildlife Rehabilitation and Refuges

© Connie Troutman

Wildlife rehabilitation is treating injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife and returning these animals back into their natural habitat. At the hands of caring volunteers, most of these animals have a fighting chance for survival. Rehabilitation centers are non-profit organizations and function solely on volunteers and private donations.

The Island Wildlife Natural Care Centre emphasizes alternative, non-toxic, non-invasive treatments, such as homeopathy and herbal remedies. Visit their Homeopathic Repertory to find out the many ailments and the remedies they use for treating wildlife. Remember the home remedy using peppermint for colicky babies? This same treatment is used on wildlife for treating nausea, vomiting, flatulence, or colic. Natural Antibiotics may someday take the place of todays prescription antibiotics. As these bacterial bugs become resistant to these drugs, new remedies are being sought every day.

The mistake some of us make is trying to care for wildlife ourselves. In order to do this you need a special permit and license. It is illegal to raise wildlife or care for them without the the proper paperwork and the penalities can be stiff. Some time ago a women had found a rare type of baby bird that was normally found in warmer climates. The temperature was frigid outside and so she brought the bird into her pet store to care for it until she could contact someone who may be able to transport the bird south. It didn't take long for the Fish and Game to hear of this. They demanded that she release the bird or be fined $10,000. She was going to transport the bird herself but they said she couldn't do that. She had no choice but to turn the bird loose. It wasn't expected that the bird would survive the temperature and to this day, no one knows for sure.

Wild animals are different from pets. Although adorable when young, as they grow, their natural instincts become stronger and they can be very dangerous. An injured animal can be even more dangerous because of their fear and pain so please use caution. Should you find an injured or orphaned animal, contact your local Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, or a veterinarian. If the animal is small, such as a bird, cover it with a cloth and place in a box until you can take it to someone. For larger animals, for your safety as well as theirs, call first before attempting to move. Do not feed them. Most have special dietary needs and you may do more harm than good.

The copyright of the article Wildlife Rehabilitation and Refuges in Wildlife is owned by . Permission to republish Wildlife Rehabilitation and Refuges in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.