Grades 8-9

Often well meaning people will “rescue” a wild animal when the animal really doesn’t need their help. Different species have different methods for raising their young that have been successful for thousands of years. If an animal is removed unnecessarily from it’s mother and natural environment, the results can be disastrous. The animal can become habituated to people and cannot be released or often they will die. In nature far more young are produced each year than is necessary to maintain the populations of each wildlife species. This high birth rate must be balanced by an equally high mortality rate. Predation and scavenging by other species are natural and necessary to prevent overpopulation and starvation. Students should understand that death is a natural occurrence. Survival of species depends on reproduction by only the strongest and most suited individuals.

Rescuing and rehabilitating wild animals should be left to the people who are experienced in working with wildlife. Most often the kindest thing you can do is to leave these animals alone. Start by downloading the lesson handouts (pdf) and printing them out. They include fun games, puzzles, and quizzes to help your child learn.

Some of the more common situations they may be faced with are:

• A baby bird that has fallen out of a nest.
• An animal that has been hit by a car or a bird that has hit a window.
• Animals that appear to be orphaned or abandoned.
• Stranded marine mammals - seal pups, whales, dolphins.

Some things to consider:

Species - Different species raise their young in different ways. Often parents must leave in search of food and taking their young is neither safe nor practical. In the case of deer, the fawn has no scent, so the mother leaves it during the day to protect it from predators. Just because you may not understand or agree with what these animals are doing, these methods are successful in raising self-sufficient adults.

Species is also important with respect to endangered animals or animals who are close to being endangered. Preserving these animals is very worthwhile. Rehabilitation and release of adults who have already learned to survive on their own can be important to the survival of these species. For animals who are abundant, the best way to help them is to prevent injuries and environmental contamination. Increasing public awareness and pushing for enforcement of environmental regulations is a better way to help these animals.

Age of the animal - This can be very important. Is the animal mature or immature (if you can’t tell, you can call wildlife or a vet who may be able to help). Young animals are often left alone by their parents for extended periods of time. However, if they are orphaned they will likely not survive even if you do intervene. Baby animals need to be taught how to protect themselves and find food by their natural parents. Humans cannot take the place of the wild mother and often baby animals that are raised by people and released do not survive and will die a lingering death from starvation. If the animal is mature and acting strange or friendly you should be concerned that the animal may be sick (i.e. rabies) and you should stay away. Call someone who can safely handle the situation such as Fish And Wildlife Officers or the Animal Control at the Humane Society.

How long has the animal been there? - If the animal does not appear to be injured a general rule is to observe the animal for 24 hours. If the mother does not return or the animal does not move from the area something is probably wrong and you should contact someone to find out how to proceed. The best action is to leave that animal where it is. However, if an animal is obviously suffering, alerting someone (i.e. a veterinarian) to this situation so that animal can be humanely euthanized is often the kindest action you can take.

Is the animal bleeding? - If yes, this animal probably needs help and you should call the appropriate people to find out how to proceed. Depending on the species, the age, and the seriousness of the injury, humane euthanasia or rehabilitation by experienced professionals with be the best outcome.

A stranded whale or dolphin needs help immediately and you should call the appropriate people immediately. Students should realize that “Survival of the Fittest” is the way of nature and that animals often do not need our help. These are wild animals, not domestic animals, and they are perfectly suited to survive in the wild without human intervention. This is not to suggest that it is okay to sit back and watch an animal suffer but you should be certain that your help is needed before intervening. First contact Fish and Wildlife or a veterinarian and ask if you may be of assistance.

Rescuing Adult Wildlife - Lifesaving Facts:

• Stress Kills - Stress is the biggest danger to wild animals in captivity. Contact with people is unnatural and being petted or talked to can be terrifying, even fatal. Put these animals in a dark, covered box or cage and keep them DARK, DRY, QUIET and WARM. Hands off!
• Time is Essential - The faster an injured animal receives care, the better it’s chance of survival, and the animal will suffer less. Fractures can become infected or heal improperly and animals can become very weak.
• Prevent Further Damage - Don’t try to treat these animals yourself! This can cause stress and more damage. A small cardboard box will restrict movement.
• Don’t try to feed the animals. These animals can be very sensitive to changes in diet.
• Protect Yourself - These are wild animals and they can be very dangerous, especially if they are hurt, scared and cornered. Talk to someone to determine the best method of capture. This may be for you to wait until someone arrives with the proper equipment, protective clothing and mode of transportation. These animals can also carry diseases such as rabies, which can be transmitted to humans.

Rehabilitation

Can anybody define the word rehabilitation?

“ Restore to effectiveness or normal life by training, esp. after imprisonment or illness”. The important word is restore. Rehabilitating a wild animal requires that the animal already knows how to survive in the wild! The greatest success in rehabilitating and releasing is with adult animals. We cannot take the place of the mother and therefore releasing orphaned babies after being raised by humans is often unsuccessful. We are not able to teach these animals the skills they need to survive in the harsh realities of nature.

You should never try to raise wild babies or treat them on your own. When an animal is rescued because of injury or abandonment the goal is to rehabilitate that animal and release it back into the wild where it belongs. If the animal has an injury that leaves it with a disability, making it unable to look after itself in the wild, a suitable home in a park or zoo will be found. Interference by inexperienced people, who have good intentions, can result in a wild animal that cannot be released and unnecessary human injury.

Some of the problems that can occur are:

Immature immune system leads to illness in young animals. Improper nourishment causing decreased growth rates and illness. Wild animals that become dependent on humans and cannot fend or forage for themselves when released. If these animals are released they may be so used to humans that they endanger themselves by coming too close to humans who do not have good intentions. By leaving the rehabilitation to people who are experienced in this area you can decrease the chance of these things happening. The main goal is to release a healthy animal back into the wild that is able to survive on its own.

Wild Animals, the Law and YOU!

In Prince Edward Island, keeping a wild animal for any reason, with the exception of some waterfowl, is illegal. The reasons for this have been mentioned, risk of injury and disease for humans, domestic animals and wild animals and the fact that these animals belong in their natural environment. Anything else can result in animals that are sick, unhappy and often die.

Licenses for keeping wild animals are only given to people who are trained in caring for these animals and can provided humane and adequate enclosures and nutrition. Such cases include educational purposes such as in the case of AVC, fur farming, wild game farming and wildlife parks (which is currently being phased out).

Conclusion

Although it may be tempting to “rescue” a wild animal that is in distress, it is best to just to let things take its course. Sometimes you may be doing more harm than good by intervening. If a wild animal becomes too comfortable with humans, it cannot tell the difference between a good person and a bad person. If you find an animal in distress, please call our office for advice on how to handle the situation.