Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The World of Wildlife Rehabilitation
We are so excited to welcome our readers into the world of wild bird rehabilitation. There are birds from all over Arkansas, the United States, and even the world that are in need of your growing knowledge and expertise. We cannot wait to work with every one of you to help save birds that want to be free again!
The main goal of a wildlife rehabilitator is to treat injured wildlife and get them back into the wild. Wild animals are not meant to be pets. They have a unique place in the ecosystem and are designed to survive in the wilderness. Many people might think that it would be cute to have a pet owl or hummingbird, however, those animals are meant to be free in nature.
As a wildlife rehabilitator, you must have special permission from certain states and the government to do your job. Not anyone can be a wildlife rehabilitator! You must have training, licenses, and equipment to do your job correctly. You will also work with a veterinarian to make sure you are using the right medications for sick patients.
You can decide what animals you would like to work on. Some wildlife rehabilitators prefer to do mammals, such as opossums, raccoons, squirrels, and more. Other wildlife rehabilitators may prefer to do reptiles and amphibians such as turtles and snakes. Northsong Wild Bird Rehabilitation’s team rehabilitates injured birds, such as woodpeckers, owls, herons, eagles, and more! Over the next few months, we will all work together to solve rehabilitation cases of injured birds! Remember though, there are tons of animals that need your help, so learn as much as you can and believe in yourself!