Into Wildlife Rehabilitation: First Responders

If you found an injured wild animal, what would you do? There are many myths and misinformation about how to rescue animals, and doing the wrong thing can add stress or make the situation worse. The best thing to do is to contact a professional wildlife rehabilitator.

In this episode, Into the Outdoors Adventure Team members, Zach and Sophie come across an injured young bird. Professional rehabilitators from Fellow Mortals Wildlife Hospital in Lake Geneva, WI, help them sort through the “dos and don’ts” of wildlife rescue: when to leave it alone, how to contain it, keep it warm and seek additional care.

Students will also learn about career and volunteer pathways in wildlife rehabilitation through interviews with Fellow Mortals staff. Wildlife rehabilitators offer medical care to animals, like veterinarians do, but they see hundreds of different species! They care for the animals 24-7, which might include hand-feeding and regular cleaning, until the animals are ready to be released back into the wild.

Zach and Sophie celebrate how compassion prompted them to act as “Wildlife First Responders” and seek care, which ultimately saves the bird’s life. They share additional information on how we all can help prevent injuries or orphaning of wild animals.

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