Wildlife Rehabilitation Role

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A vet and rehabilitation officer looking over and caring for a badger patient — Both the rehabber and the vet work together to triage patients, to help determine their likelihood of survival through a rehabilitation process and back out into the wild (Wildlife Aid Foundation)

Working in wildlife rehabilitation is no picnic!

The ethos of the wildlife rehabilitation sector has always been to rescue, rehabilitate and release wild animals back to the wild. I’m Stacey Fletcher, the Digital Marketing Officer at the Wildlife Aid Foundation, and I have been involved in the wildlife rehab sector for just over 8 years, including two years of volunteer work and six years in paid roles. My positions within the sector have varied, but all have had the same purpose: to ensure each patient has the best chance possible to survive and thrive, back in the wild.

A fox trapped in a child's football net — Man-made products are one of the leading causes of wildlife being admitted into rescue centres, for this fox, he had been struggling in this football netting for over two hours before the home-owner arrived home and saw him (Wildlife Aid Foundation)

At the heart of Wildlife Aid and many other rehab centres is the need to re-balance the impact that humans have on the natural world, but focusing on the individual rather than nature’s entirety. Wildlife Aid takes in almost 8000 injured, orphaned, trapped, and sick wild animals, each year. We are just one centre. Across the UK, you’d now be hard-pressed to not find a wildlife rescue (whether it be a well-established vet-led centre or a small at home service), within an hour’s drive.

The work of a rehabilitator involves wearing many hats, but it can be most likened to that of a human physiotherapist. You need to have a good understanding of hundreds of varying species, including their life history, behaviour, biology, dietary and feeding needs, social needs, and common ailments, all of which could affect their recovery and are taken into consideration when rehabilitating a patient. With the amount of knowledge needed to successfully return an animal to the wild, both education and experience is favourable. For me, I started with a Diploma in Animal Management, before gaining an FD in Animal Science and a BSc in Animal Biology and Wildlife Conservation. The latter two were achieved whilst volunteering and working in wildlife rehabilitation, gaining essential experience to support the theory I had been taught in education.

A pigeon covered in red paint being held by a vet — Sadly, some wildlife are subject to cruelty. For this feral pigeon who had been covered head to toe in red paint, was unable to be returned to the wild due to severe feather damage (Wildlife Aid Foundation)

Orphan season (April to September) is the busiest time of year for rehabilitators, and routinely involves the hand-rearing of hundreds (if not thousands) of injured and/or orphaned young animals. When I say wildlife rehabilitation is no picnic, this is why: to rear a young wild animal, you must be prepared for night feeds, frequent feeds (every 15 minutes), learning what’s normal and abnormal for that individual, as well as having minimal time away. Working like this is how we replicate the parents’ tutelage and, thus, give them the best chance of surviving. However, nature can have other ideas, and it is well documented that some wild animals have large litters or clutches with the knowledge that less than 25% of them will survive to adulthood. Failure to thrive and sudden deaths are common in wildlife, making the need to be pragmatic and emotionally strong a necessity for the sector; easier said than done, I know! The success rate for a wildlife rehabilitation centre is estimated at 40%, based on a study by the RSPCA. This may seem low, but due to both the severity of injury or illness and wildlife’s hardwired response to hide signs of weakness, casualties often don’t present themselves until they’re in a critical condition.

Many centres work alongside one or multiple vets and would be unable to carry out parts of rehabilitation without them. Veterinary science plays a large part in the sector, and it is important, as a rehabilitator, to recognise your limitations and when veterinary input is needed. From diagnosis to treatment, surgery to euthanasia, the role of the vet and rehabilitator are somewhat different, but they must effectively work as one to ensure decision-making prioritises the patient’s welfare and recovery, at all times.

A bird of prey flying out of a recently opened box — Releasing wildlife back to the wild will always be the most rewarding part of being a wildlife rehabber (Wildlife Aid Foundation)

Education of others has been a substantial part of my career in this sector, whether it be a member of the public, a school class, or a social media following, it is the education of communities and wider audiences that helps to inspire more people to consider, protect and help wildlife and nature in their daily lives. Thousands of animals are admitted into wildlife rescues unnecessarily, each year, but education can help reduce those numbers, which is why centres incorporate educational talks and resources into their remit.

At Wildlife Aid, our late founder, Simon Cowell MBE, began the initiative ‘iDot’. It stands for “I Do One Thing” and encourages people to do one thing, every day, for wildlife. From picking up litter to letting an area of a garden grow wild, small actions carried out by multiple people can create huge change, which is exactly what the Wildlife Aid Foundation is striving for; positive change that will protect and enhance nature and wildlife’s ability to thrive.

You can join the already 1.4million iDots completed, to date, by pledging, today - https://www.wildlifeaid.org.uk/conserve-wildlife