"Wildlife rehabilitation is the practice of providing responsible and professional care to sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals with the goal of releasing fully-recovered animals back to their native environment." (Association of Avian Veterinarians)

Most animals brought to rehabilitation clinics have injuries inadvertently caused by humans and ever-increasing urbanization. They may have been hit by a car, attacked by a cat or dog, struck a window, or ingested trash, pesticides, or lead. In some cases, humans have intentionally harmed them.

Providing care to these animals is an act of responsible stewardship - it gives them a second chance to live the wild life they were born for. It also reduces the suffering of individual animals.

Wildlife rehabilitators provide essential services to the community. They respond to calls from compassionate members of the public who have found an injured animal, answer questions about co-existing with wildlife, and; prevent injury or the spread of zoonotic disease to caring but untrained citizens who may try to rehabilitate wildlife on their own.

COULD TREATING INJURED RAPTORS HELP LIFT A POPULATION?

Research by wildlife biologist John Goodell shows that rehabilitation of raptors can have long-term impacts on populations. Read about his research here.