The world health organization (WHO) estimates that zoonotic diseases account for billions of illnesses globally every year. In countries with high level infrastructure these diseases are rarer, but still a risk, especially for those in select professions (biologists, veterinarians, wildlife rehabilitators,etc.) or the immunocompromised. Those outside of these groups may contract these illnesses when exposed to pets or random encounters with wildlife. It is thus important to know some basics about these pathogens so that you can prevent exposure and seek appropriate guidance if you are concerned. What is a zoonotic disease? What kind of diseases are zoonotic? What animals...
02 August 2023September 11, 2023Alexandra Reddy
IWRC Member Spotlight: Agamon Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (AWRC)
In this post we spotlight IWRC member the Agamon Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (AWRC). This center was established in December 2019 through a collaboration of KKL-JNF and Tel Hai College, led by Yaron Charka the Chief Ornithologist of KKL-JNF and Rona Nadler Valency, wildlife veterinarian and certified wildlife rehabilitator (DVM, CWR), the director of the Rehabilitation Center. The Center provides a haven for wildlife in Northern Israel. It is located in the Hula Lake Nature and Ornithology Park at the heart of the Hula Valley, which has become one of the most important migratory flyway stopover sites for avian wildlife in...
25 June 2023September 11, 2023Alexandra Reddy
IWRC Member Spotlight: Érika Pioltine Anseloni, Ph.D.
Érika Pioltine Anseloni, a Biologist and Wildlife Vet Assistant from Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, has a deep love for nature and animals. Her passion for wildlife rehabilitation began during her one-year tenure at Centre Wildlife Care (CWC) in Central Pennsylvania, United States, during the pandemic (2020-2021), following the completion of her Ph.D. Inspired by the valuable experiences she gained from working with Robyn Graboski, dedicated volunteers, and the animals at CWC, Érika was motivated to continue her efforts in helping animals upon returning to Brazil. In August 2021, she established “Todo Bicho Bom,” her own organization, where she voluntarily engages...
07 June 2023June 8, 2023Alexandra Reddy
IWRC Member Spotlight: Connie Black
DESTINED TO FLY/SONGBIRD REHABILITATORS NETWORK IWRC member Connie Black is the founder and director of Destined to Fly in Harrowsmith, Ontario. She has dedicated her life to wildlife rehabilitation, particularly focusing on the care of songbirds. With a passion for avian species, she established the Songbird Rehabilitators Network on Facebook in collaboration with Julie Eicke, a renowned North Carolina Avian Rehabilitator, back in 2016. This online community was created to provide valuable information and support to those who are permitted to care for migratory songbirds of all ages, including volunteers, staff, and interns. Having started her journey in 2003, Connie...
07 February 2023February 7, 2023Kai
All That Breathes: Award Winning Wildlife Rehabilitation Documentary
A year after viewing All That Breathes, thoughts of the film still send vivid pictures of the wildlife of New Delhi dancing through my head; a turtle stepping through urban refuse, kites wheeling in the sky. This documentary film, featuring IWRC members Nadeem Shehzad and Mohammad Saud, explores the realities of urban human wildlife interactions. Set in the metropolis of New Delhi, the film captures moments in the wildlife rehabilitation center, Wildlife Rescue, and glimpses of the ecosystem of free living wildlife in the city. All That Breathes started a buzz in the film industry after its January 2022 release...
09 December 2022December 20, 2022Julissa
2022 Accomplishments
Our Basic wildlife rehabilitation class continues to be our most popular. We are proud to say that both in person and online classes are well attended and our instructors are enjoying their time back in the classroom. All together we had approximately 545 students, from North America, Africa, and Asia, take the Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation class this year. This is an excellent number and proves that our new program coordinator, Samantha Lyon, has definitely surpassed all of our expectations in organizing the myriad of factors that come into play with classes. As usual the work continues. None of these projects,...
09 December 2022June 7, 2023KatieMcInnis
Emergency Vets and Wildlife
Emergency veterinarians are often asked to triage and treat wildlife patients. However, many veterinarians may have limited experience in wildlife medicine and be uncertain about assisting in such cases. This article will discuss what an emergency practitioner may do to assist in triage and temporary care of a wildlife patient until it can be transferred to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. If you live in a country that does not yet have government oversight of wildlife rehabilitation, contact your regional office that oversees natural resources or conservation on how you may assist when presented with a wildlife emergency. In most areas...
11 August 2022August 11, 2022Julissa
Lloyd Brown
Returning Board Member and IWRC Instructor Please share an early/childhood experience that was pivotal to your personal relationship to wildlife. In 1966, on a family road trip to visit my brother in the Air Force in Denver, we stopped in Amarillo, Texas for the night. While walking from the hotel to a restaurant, I found a nestling bird that had fallen from its nest. It was sitting on the sidewalk and I picked it up and placed it up on top of a concrete wall where by the tree from where it had fallen. My parents said that I didn’t...
26 July 2022December 11, 2022Julissa
Susie Sullivan – treasurer
Spotlight on an IWRC Board Member Please share an early/childhood experience that was pivotal to your personal relationship to wildlife. How did you initially become involved with IWRC and why did you choose to become involved on a board level? I first became involved with the IWRC when I started volunteering in Portland Audubon’s Wildlife Care Center. I chose to become a board member because I wanted to leverage my background in Finance and Accounting to serve an organization that I was aligned with and was furthering progress in an area I care about deeply. Wildlife rehab is grossly underfunded...
01 July 2022June 7, 2023Julissa
Meredith Whitney
Spotlight on new board member Please share an early/childhood experience that was pivotal to your personal relationship to wildlife. I grew up next to a creek and was constantly bringing home crawdads, frogs and snakes to keep as “pets”. I was lucky enough to have parents that were understanding enough not to discourage my love of critters, and smart enough to secretly release them after letting me observe them for a day or two. I never could figure out how all those animals “escaped” until my mom filled me in decades later! It wasn’t until I was bitten by a...