3 minute read
Rehab and Release Doesn’t Always Work
Rehab and Release Doesn’t Always Work
By C.J. White Education Director, Blue Ridge Wildlife Center
At Blue Ridge Wildlife Center (BRWC), we see more than 3,000 patients each year, and our goal is to rehabilitate and then release those animals.
Unfortunately, some cannot be released due to physical or mental disabilities that would prevent them from surviving in the wild. By state law, animals that can’t be released have two options—euthanasia or placement in an accredited facility for a lifetime in captivity. Our goal for non-releasable animals is to make the most humane choice for each individual. So how do we make this decision?
Let’s take Kevin, the American Kestrel, as an example. Kevin was born in the wild, but someone found him on the ground as a baby and decided to keep him as a pet for a few weeks.
This caused Kevin to become “imprinted,” meaning that he identifies with humans rather than his own kind and has learned to rely on them for survival.
If imprinted animals are released, there’s a high chance they would walk or fly up to a person in search of food, sometimes aggressively. To some people that would sound awesome but more often people are terrified, making it a dangerous situation for everyone involved.
A black vulture named Wednesday is also non-releasable due to imprinting. Someone found and hatched the egg against Federal law and BRWC’s advice. When surrendered at two weeks old, she was placed with other vultures with the hope to re-wild, but it was already too late.
Imprinting, unnecessary stress and pain is completely preventable by getting the animal to a proper rehab facility as soon as possible. As much as we wish for them to be wild, Kevin and Wednesday get to live the good life at BRWC with free food and rent, diet plans, bodyguards, and healthcare while helping to teach people the importance of their species in our ecosystems.
In fact, each year these “Educational Ambassador” animals provide a very compelling learning experience for thousands of children and adults.
Both birds feel comfortable around people and get plenty of enrichment in the form of consistent conditioning-based training. Both birds are also physically comfortable and don’t have any illnesses or injuries causing chronic pain.
Many wild animals deemed not releasable are suffering from chronic pain and most were adults upon admission. Keeping such animals would create a situation of constant stress in a captive environment. It would not be humane to keep them and making the best decision for each individual is always the top priority.
When individuals without a license and training attempt to rehabilitate wildlife, we commonly see it result in imprinting, malnutrition, and exacerbation of painful injuries as well as the risk of diseases that could threaten you, your family, or your pets. We always advise finders to call us at 540-837-9000 before they intervene in a wildlife situation.
The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center is the only dedicated wildlife hospital in Northern Virginia. It‘s a non-profit organization caring for native wildlife by integrating veterinary medicine, rehabilitation, education and research. For more information, visit www.blueridgewildlifectr.org.
