Rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife

National Consultative Committee on Animal Welfare (NCCAW) Position Statement

Rehabilitation means providing veterinary care and support to injured, sick, diseased or orphaned animals, with the goal of restoring them to their natural habitat.

NCCAW's Position

1. Many members of the community accept that caring for or rehabilitating native wildlife is a way to deal with injured or orphaned animals, particularly as human activities such as the clearing of natural habitats and motor vehicle incidents impact on wildlife.
   
   
2. General access to wildlife and providing care to individual animals are regulated by legislation. Caring for injured or orphaned animals can provide a great sense of achievement, but it is important to carefully consider the animal's welfare needs and the factors which apply to its successful and long-term rehabilitation.
   
   
3. Wildlife that is rescued because it is sick, injured or has lost its parent should be promptly assessed someone who is knowledgeable and experienced in the species and its requirements. If the animal is suffering from significant pain or distress, which cannot be relieved it should be promptly euthanased.

   Careful consideration should also be given to the euthanasing animals that would not survive if released back into the wild without extended treatment or radical surgery.
   

4. If there is a reasonable expectation that an animal can be successfully rehabilitated back into its own environment (in the location from which it was found), it should be placed in the care of a person or wildlife rescue facility recognised or registered by the relevant government authority as being proficient in wildlife care and rehabilitation.

   If it becomes evident during rehabilitation that successful release is unlikely, and if there are no exceptional conservation reasons or needs to keep the animal in captivity, it should be promptly euthanased.
   

5. If scientific evidence or experience indicates a high probability of the animals' successful rehabilitation, the animal should:
   
   
   • only be released when it is adequately prepared, and it is in its best interests
   • be released into the area from which it was obtained, and
   • where it will not place the existing populations in the area at risk from competition, disease, predation or genetic effects etc. If it is necessary to evaluate rescue and rehabilitation activities, all animals should be identified individually before release and efforts made to determine their subsequent welfare and survival.
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7. The relevant government authority should regulate the activities of wildlife rescuers and facilitate the distribution of information on the care of wildlife species to others involved.
   
   
8. NCCAW supports the development of state codes of practice for managing the rescue and rehabilitation of native wildlife species.

Note If it is decided that it is in an animal’s interest to be held in permanent captivity, this should be done in accordance with the principles in Position Statement 03: 0 (Wildlife as Pets).