Online Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation

Please ensure you read the entire product description, sample syllabus (note: updated schedule typically Monday – Sunday), and our Class Refund and Cancellation Policy before registering for this course. You will receive an email after registering (this may take 1-2 business days). If you do not see this email, please check your junk or spam folder and contact us if you still cannot find it at online@theiwrc.org. This email contains critical information that you must read in advance of starting the course.

This online version of our Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation course is for beginning wildlife or novice rehabilitators seeking formal education with a hands-on lab! The structure is an online format of live video lectures hosted on Zoom, giving you access to the expertise and knowledge of our instructors, paired with asynchronous (pre-recorded) sections which you complete on your own. We estimate that live lectures will total about 7 hours and asynchronous work (homework, pre-recorded lectures, and exam) will take about 8+ hours. Basic online will take place over 7 days but may vary depending on your location.

The course may have either an in-person or virtual lab so please read the description of your course carefully before signing up — you must attend all four live sessions and a lab, successfully complete the homework, forums, and an exam to achieve a passing grade. If you are signing up for a virtual lab, be sure you are able to get all the needed materials (listed below). Schedules vary depending on your location, please verify that you can attend all live lectures and one lab session before registering.

We challenge you to do your homework and readings before you get to your class. This will facilitate a richer learning experience during the course and in the online classroom.

This class is RACE approved for 15 CE. Please send us your license number and state of issue once you have registered. Your information will be uploaded via CE Broker to your RACEtrack account. If you need a MyAAVSB account account to access RACEtrack, click here.

Lecture Topics

• Introduction to wildlife rehabilitation                  • Fluid therapy
• Animal welfare                                                       • Thermoregulatory medical problems
• Admissions and identification                              • Nutrition
• Capture and restraint                                            • Starvation and emaciation
• Zoonoses                                                               • Wound management
• Stress and shock                                                   • Head and spinal trauma
• Physical exam                                                        • Release criteria
• Euthanasia                                                             • Housing

Required Materials

• Access to a computer with reliable internet and video/audio capabilities
• Wildlife Rehabilitation: A Comprehensive Approach
• Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation
• Lab kit, if attending a class based in North America

To be successful in this course, you must be prepared and able to use an online classroom, video calls, and have the technological savvy this requires.

To receive a course completion certificate, students must attend all the zoom sessions and successfully pass the exam, lab, and homework with 70% or higher.

***For Virtual Labs Only***

• An easy-to-clean location for procedures (at home or at a rehabilitation center) including table covering (butcher paper, plastic sheeting, paper bags, etc.)
• A computer, smartphone, or tablet with reliable internet
• 1 mammal and 1 avian carcass. Carcasses for the lab may be acquired from commercial operations (i.e. pet stores, lab suppliers, etc.). Please contact your host for suggestions for local suppliers if needed. Please note that you cannot use rabies vector species (e.g. raccoons, foxes, skunks, and bats) for our labs.  More information on rabies vector species: USA, CANADA. If you are completing the lab and are not under a current wildlife rehabilitation permit, please obtain feeder specimens as listed below (IWRC help document on finding cadavers):
  • Mammals (over 175 grams): rat (size large or greater), rabbit
  • Birds: pigeon/dove, quail, chicken (adult)
• Container for fluids (large disposable cup, triangular graduated container, etc.)
• Sharps container (make your own)
• Optional at-home lab supplies: stethoscope, digital thermometer, penlight, gram scale, isopropyl alcohol

***For In-Person Labs Only***

• A smartphone, tablet, or personal computer and corresponding charger that you can bring to the lab

FYI Canada Classes: In addition to the rate charged by USPS, Canadian customs may charge extra fees on packages. Per the Canadian postal service, there is nothing we can do to predict or eliminate these charges.

FYI International Shipping: Please note, if ordering books/class materials that need to be shipped outside of the US, international shipping can take 10 days or longer. If you wish to get your books sooner it may be possible, however, some restrictions apply. Even if you choose and pay for express shipping the United States Postal Service (USPS) does not guarantee faster shipping times. If you choose express shipping, USPS will only refund your money if you reside in a country that is on their guarantee list, which can be found here: https://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc2_006.htm.

Have a large group you want to bring? Consider an Organizational Membership and contact us for special group pricing.