What is an animal rehabilitation center?

Question

What is their main purpose, and what types of areas are they located in? Major cities?

Answer 1

They are all over. They are places you can take sick or injured wildlife. I'm adding the link for the one in my area. I think it is a good representation.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Their main purpose is to care for injured wildlife and then release them back into the wild once they've healed.

They also care for orphaned wildlife. Some of the wildlife at the center are no longer able to survive in the wild, such as an eagle with one wing, these animals are often used to educate people about animals, conservation, and the harm humans cause them. Some educate at their center and/or at presentations, such as going to a school.

There are rehabilitation center all over the world. Use a link below to find one.

http://www.nwrawildlife.org/page.asp?ID=...

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact....

http://wildliferehabber.com/modules/xoop...

http://www.nwrawildlife.org/page.asp?ID=...

What is Wildlife Rehabilitation?

The goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to provide professional care to sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals so they can ultimately be returned to their natural habitats. Those animals who sustain injuries or illnesses that prevent them from living successfully in the wild usually are euthanized – have their suffering ended in a humane fashion. Occasionally, individuals who have recovered from their injuries but are not able to survive in the wild are placed in education facilities.

Wildlife rehabilitation is not an attempt to turn wild animals into pets. Patients are held in captivity only until they are able to live independently in the wild. Fear of humans is a necessary survival trait for wild animals and every effort is made to minimize human contact and prevent the taming of rehabilitation patients. Often this is an elaborate and time-consuming process.

Wildlife rehabilitators work with veterinarians to assess injuries and diagnose a variety of illnesses. Rehabilitators must be able to administer basic first aid and physical therapy. And-because wild animals are so different from domestic animals-rehabilitators need extensive knowledge about the species in their care, including natural history, nutritional requirements, behavioral issues, and caging considerations. They also need to understand any dangers the animals may present to rehabilitators.

Almost all birds are protected by federal law; state laws protect most other kinds of wildlife. To work with mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, wildlife rehabilitators must be issued special permits from their state wildlife agencies. Before receiving their permits, they must meet various requirements such as specialized training, participation in mentorship programs, facility inspections, and written or oral exams. Rehabilitators who wish to care for birds must also get permits from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Once they receive their permits, conscientious rehabilitators continue their education by attending conferences, seminars, and workshops, by keeping up with published literature, and by networking with others in the field.

Because of their training, wildlife rehabilitators can help concerned people decide whether an animal truly needs help. Young birds and mammals should be returned to their families if at all possible; even well trained rehabilitators are not equivalent replacements for biological parents. Rehabilitators can provide instructions for how to reunite wildlife families, keeping the safety of the animals and the rescuers in mind, and they can suggest humane, long-term solutions when conflicts arise between humans and their wild neighbors.

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/training...

http://www.nwrawildlife.org/page.asp?ID=...