FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 4th, 2017 Wildlife Rehabilitation Community Aids Its Own [HOUSTON, TX] — Disasters bring communities together and bring out the best in people. Organizations helping people and organizations helping companion animals (dogs, cats, horses, etc.) impacted by natural and human-made disasters have become part of the emergency landscape. They quickly and efficiently channel donor dollars into relief efforts. It’s different with wildlife. While wild animals impacted by these same disasters get compassionate care from wildlife rescuers and rehabilitators, a well-organized and well-funded response system has never been in place. The magnitude of the devastation wrought by...
28 August 2017April 27, 2022Kai
Wildlife Rehabilitation: The Career
Reprinted with permission from Becoming a Wildlife Professional, Scott E Henke and Paul R Krausman, editors (pp 140-142) Wildlife rehabilitation centers are nonprofit or governmental agencies that provide care to injured, ill, and orphaned wild animals and assist area residents with human/wildlife conflicts. Organizational goals and missions focus on the conservation of species, conflict resolution, public education, the relief of animals’ pain and suffering, and the monitoring of anthropogenic issues (influences of humans on nature), including lead ammunition, rodenticides, and climate change. Job Description Wildlife rehabilitators are quick thinkers who work well with people and animals. They have a passion...
14 August 2017November 4, 2021Julissa
Tidbits from board member Ashraf NVK
Please share an early/childhood experience that was pivotal to your personal relationship to wildlife. Like all children, I was naturally attracted to animals, but more than others. I lived in a semi-urban environment and we had free-ranging backyard poultry. I would stand at the entrance when the door is opened to get my favourite hen in hand before she darts off for foraging! Thus began my contact with animals, with chicken first and then cats. How did you initially become involved with IWRC and why did you choose to become involved on a board level? (i) to act as an...
20 June 2017November 4, 2021Kai
Promote mental health in the work (volunteer) place
In recent years, Lynn Miller, Sue Wylie, and I have written reminders to take time for self care in IWRC’s newsletters. After discussing the recent instances of suicide with a colleague, it occurred to me that IWRC is well placed to do more to speak up for the mental health of wildlife rehabilitators. Over the next few months we will write and share a series of pieces on mental health, including information on self assessment, tips for self care, and resources for centers and individuals to use in maintaining mental health. As we’ve started the research for this task, CWR...
01 June 2017November 4, 2021Lloyd
Amanda Margraves, In Memoriam
by Lloyd Brown On the evening of Saturday, May 13th I lost a close friend and the wildlife rehabilitation community lost one of our own Amanda Autumn Margraves was always meant to be a rehabber, she just didn’t always know what to call it. She had a passion for animals and went to the University of Michigan, where she was studying in the Pre-Vet program, when she found an injured squirrel. Like many people who have such experiences, she spent almost a whole day trying to find out what could be done to help it. When she finally found a...
18 May 2017November 4, 2021Kai
Tidbits from New Staff Member Katie McInnis
Please share an early/childhood experience that was pivotal to your personal relationship with wildlife. As a child I always loved animals. I distinctly remember finding a squirrel that had been hit by a car and wanting to help him. My mother helped me get the squirrel into a box and we took it to the vet. Although things didn’t turn out like I had hoped, I was happy that I was able to do something to help ease his pain. Describe a particular area of interest or a particular passion within the scope of IWRC’s mission. I am very passionate...
05 February 2017July 26, 2022Francisca Astorga
Raging Wildfires in Chile Affect Wildlife
Since early January Chile has been facing the worst forest fires it has ever seen in modern history, with ~2300 sq miles of land destroyed, thousands of people evacuated and 11 human deaths. The Chilean government has declared state of emergency in several areas, which have been receiving support from official emergency agencies, international help, and volunteers. This is a catastrophe: it can be described as a chain of wildfires, which have overwhelmed national services. Communities have lost their houses (more that 7,000 are homeless), their livelihoods destroyed (vineyards, tree plantations, etc), and many domestic animals have died or been injured. A silent victim...
14 December 2016November 4, 2021Ana Mendes
The What, Why, and How of SOPs
Reprinted with permission from WRNBC Network News 30(2) of the Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Network of British Columbia by Ana Mendes What is an SOP? A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a set of fixed instructions or steps for carrying out routine operations. These rules provide structure and framework to an organization with multiple employees and/or volunteers. Alternative paperwork: Protocols: detailed plan of a scientific or medical experiment, treatment or procedure Policies: course or principle of action adopted or proposed by an organization or individual Procedure: who, what, where, when and how a task should be completed Scope: What is the intention/purpose of...
21 November 2016November 4, 2021Kai
Together, we give knowledge
Thank goodness Black Friday and Cyber Monday are followed globally (71 countries and counting!) by #GivingTuesday, a day of social giving and philanthropy. “As a global movement, #GivingTuesday unites countries around the world by sharing our capacity to care for and empower one another.” Teach a man to fish = Train a wildlife rehabilitator The old adage holds true. TEACHING is powerful. $200 provides basic professional training to a practitioner of wildlife rehabilitation. The best thing about education? It doesn’t go away. That $200 of knowledge will help a rehabilitator properly care for two hundred animals each year for many...
19 November 2016November 4, 2021Kai
Recent Journal Abstracts Issue 36(3)
The full papers can be found in the Journal of Wildlife Rehabilitation 36(3), available to all IWRC members. AN ANALYSIS OF JUVENILE RED FOX BEHAVIOR IN RESPONSE TO AMBIENT TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN AN OUTDOOR PRE-RELEASE ENCLOSURE Cale Matesic and Esther Finegan ABSTRACT: The behavioral responses of 7 red fox kits to temperature changes in an outdoor enclosure were recorded for 2 weeks prior to release. Images of the animals were captured by thermal imaging and behavior was documented through observation from outside their enclosure. At ambient air temperatures ranging from 20-23°C, red fox kits exhibited natural wild behavior (walking, running,...