Wildlife Rehabilitation

If you love animals, you may have thought at one time or another that you'd enjoy being a wildlife rehabilitator, like Rachel in The Heat of the Moon. This can be immensely rewarding work, but it isn't easy. You should know exactly what you're getting into.

Possession of virtually any wild animal without a permit is illegal, and you cannot care for injured or orphaned animals without a license from your state. Qualifications vary from state to state, but you can be sure that you won't be issued a license simply because you've asked for one. If you want to care for birds, you will need a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

You don't have to be a veterinarian like Rachel, but you must have some knowledge of how to treat animal diseases and injuries. Since frightened animals may bite, you must have vaccinations against certain diseases, including rabies. You will need liability insurance, space, understanding family and neighbors, and the money to cover ongoing costs. Most of all, you need time. Caring for a single baby bird, for example, means administering feedings every 15-30 minutes, 14 hours a day.

If you want to be involved in wildlife rehab but can't undertake a full-scale operation of your own, volunteer to help a local, experienced rehabber. You can locate someone through animal wardens, veterinary clinics, or Audubon chapters, among other sources.

Visit the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association website at http://www.nwrawildlife.org for more information.

And the next time you see a baby animal that appears to have been abandoned by its mother, ask yourself...

Does that wild baby really need your help?

Baby birds, squirrels, and rabbits look so vulnerable when we see them on the ground that most of us feel an urgent need to do something. But are we helping or just interfering in a natural process? A little knowledge and careful observation will keep you from stressing the animals with your unneeded assistance.

If you find a baby that is obviously injured, you may make matters worse by handling it. Call your local animal shelter for advice before you do anything. Remember that only licensed wildlife rehabilitators are qualified to care for injured wild animals in their homes.

Look closely at a baby bird before you decide it needs help. If it is naked or sparsely feathered, has a wide nestling mouth, and keeps its eyes closed, return it to the nest immediately with a minimum of handling. If you can't find the nest, call your county animal shelter. If the baby has a full set of feathers, seems uninjured, and is alert, it's a fledgling and should be left where you find it. As worrisome as it may be to humans, all baby birds leave the nest before they are able to fly well, and many of them spend a few days on the ground or in low bushes. Their parents stay nearby and continue to feed them. They are vulnerable, and many don't survive this stage, but no action of yours will change the way Mother Nature does things.

Rabbits become independent when quite small. They can take care of themselves and should be left alone unless obviously injured. Wild rabbits are so easily stressed that you can literally scare a baby to death by picking it up. If you accidentally disturb a nest of unweaned babies, set things right as quickly as possible and keep people and pets away from the area.

Opossums are also on their own at an early age. If you see a healthy-looking baby that is going about its business calmly, let it be. A young squirrel foraging on the ground doesn't need your help either. A naked, helpless baby squirrel found on the ground has probably fallen from a nest too high for you to reach. Keep it warm in a tissue-lined, covered box with air holes while you contact an animal warden for the name of a local wildlife rehabber.