WildAgain Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc.

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Becoming a Wildlife Rehabilitator in Colorado

Curious about rehabilitating wildlife in Colorado?

You have a keen interest in wildlife and believe rehabilitating wild animals would be rewarding. You saw a television program or published article about rehabilitating wildlife. Maybe you found a wild orphan, took it to a wildlife rehabilitator, and thought "I might like to be a rehabber." All of these and more are reasons that prompt people to seek more information about wildlife rehabilitation.

If you found a wild animal in need and want to care for it yourself, go to 911 for wildlife, find and contact a local wildlife rehabilitator, and immediately take the wild animal to that person. The wild animal needs immediate aid from a qualified and licensed rehabilitator. This help can greatly increase the animal's chance of survival – and you can learn about wildlife rehabilitation in a less pressured manner.

Wildlife rehabilitation

Wildlife rehabilitation is the process of providing aid to injured, orphaned, displaced, or distressed wildlife in such a way that they may survive when released back to their native habitat. Wildlife rehabilitation is not just about loving wildlife, providing temporary care, and letting it go back into the wild. Wildlife rehabilitation requires knowledge of natural history, biology, medicine, diseases, parasites, zoonoses, caging, release criteria and protocols, and wildlife laws. It requires special diets, cages, and supplies, as well as special skills.

A variety of governmental regulations apply, requiring both state and, at times, federal permits in order to possess wildlife. Wildlife rehabilitation is a growing activity with a rapidly expanding knowledge base and ever increasing standards. Caring about wildlife is important, but is only one requirement of wildlife rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation in Colorado

There are about 120 permitted wildlife rehabilitators in Colorado. Most rehabilitators are located on the Front Range and operate small home-based facilities with both inside and outdoor cages. There are less than a dozen rehabilitation centers in Colorado that are 'stand alone centers' that are not based at a home. Wildlife rehabilitation centers generally rehabilitate larger numbers of animals than home-based rehabilitators. While home-based rehabilitation facilities may occasionally involve volunteers, larger rehabilitation centers depend on a substantial base of volunteer staff.

Since wildlife is the property of the state, permits to possess wildlife are required by the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW). As such, wildlife in temporary captivity, even if just for rehabilitation, remains under the authority of the CDOW. Both state and federal permits are required for rehabilitating most birds, as well as threatened and endangered species (and marine mammals). The CDOW rehabilitation regulations may be downloaded from http://wildlife.state.co.us/regulations/ch14.pdf.

Publications to help you learn about wildlife rehabilitation

Learn About Wildlife Rehabilitation is a short brochure that provides a brief introduction to the activity. It describes home-based wildlife rehabilitators who have their own rehabilitation permit and a facility on their own property (translation: home and yard), as well as larger wildlife rehabilitation centers.

Wildlife Rehabilitation: Is It For You? is a longer booklet with more detailed information on basic rehabilitation activities. It describes basic requirements of wildlife rehabilitators, including time, commitment, space, access to funding, knowledge and skill, a veterinarian, and relevant state and federal permits. It identifies some common myths about wildlife rehabilitation, such as wildlife rehabilitation is a hobby, a fun activity, that loving wildlife qualifies someone to be a rehabilitator, and that the government pays for rehabilitating wildlife. It suggests a variety of ways to help wildlife, by volunteering with direct or indirect animal care, becoming a wildlife rehabilitator, or getting involved in other activities.

After reading the brochure and booklet, you should have a better idea of what is involved in being a wildlife rehabilitator. Many people find that wildlife rehabilitation is different from what they expected. Some may feel that time, space, or financial requirements of being a home-based rehabilitator does not work at this time, but they are interested in volunteering for a wildlife rehabilitation organization. Some will decide to pursue other activities that support wildlife, such as working on habitat protection or wildlife education. Some may decide that rehabilitating wildlife looks like something that they want and can do, and seek more information.

Both of these documents identify some rehabilitation organizations in Colorado who are willing to talk with you. In addition to providing general information about wildlife rehabilitation, they may refer you to other wildlife rehabilitators.

Types of things rehabilitators need to know

As mentioned before, rehabilitators need to know many things in order to provide the best care for wildlife. The basic list, as developed in 1996 by a national task force of wildlife rehabilitators, including leadership from the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA) and the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC), includes the following for the species the applicant wants to rehabilitate:

• Regulations affecting wildlife rehabilitation. This includes state and federal wildlife rehabilitation regulations, state and local health ordinances, local zoning, etc.,
• Basic identification of wildlife species,
• Natural history and behavior of wildlife species,
• Humane solutions and problem prevention regarding human-wildlife conflicts,
• Facilities/caging/habitat needs for the wildlife species,
• Diet and nutrition of wildlife species, 
• Safe capture and handling of wildlife species, 
• Identification and general assessment of basic wildlife problems and conditions, 
• Basic first aid and problem-solving of wildlife species, 
• Wildlife diseases, including zoonoses,
• Euthanasia criteria and methods,
• Release criteria, considerations, preparation,
• Public contact (handling phone calls, getting information and animals, education, etc.),
• Ethics of wildlife rehabilitation,
• Working with orphans (including imprinting issues) of wildlife species, and 
• Basic resources and references.

The Colorado Division of Wildlife - Special Licensing Unit, which oversees wildlife rehabilitation licensing, has developed extremely useful materials for people interested in becoming rehabilitators. Visit their website to see a flow chart about the process, provisional guidelines, examples of learning plans, application form, inspection form, and more.

About wildlife rehabilitation sponsors

A sponsor is required for a new rehabilitator to obtain a Colorado provisional wildlife rehabilitation permit. The sponsor must have a Colorado wildlife rehabilitation permit. In addition, the sponsor should have a solid foundation of knowledge and experience in rehabilitating wildlife. People with a provisional wildlife rehabilitation permit are not allowed to sponsor new applicants since they are still in a learning stage. Not all people with full rehabilitation permits may decide to be sponsors due to their own level of knowledge and experience, time limitations, and personal interest.

The sponsor plays an important role in the training and development of a new rehabilitator. In many cases, the sponsor will want the new rehabilitator to read rehabilitation resource materials, attend training, and volunteer under the sponsor's direct supervision in order to develop basic knowledge and skill. In addition, the sponsor has an important responsibility in advising the provisional rehabilitator on the preparation of their facility, identification of critical resources and supplies, and overseeing the person's direct animal care.

Rehabilitators often have limited time available to train and sponsor provisional rehabilitators, Many restrict the number of people they sponsor in order to give each person adequate attention and support. To decide whom they will sponsor, they will need to know more about your interest, experience, relevant education, available time, and so forth. Some will ask you to complete a general information application to familiarize them with your interests and background (this is different from the application used by the CDOW). Some will conduct an interview and possibly want to see where wildlife cages would be kept.

A rehabilitator may accept an applicant as a volunteer or agree to sponsor him/her as a provisional wildlife rehabilitator. If the rehabilitator agrees to serve as a sponsor, the applicant then needs to prepare the facility, complete the CDOW application and attach a letter from the sponsor, and have the facility inspected by the CDOW. In other cases, the rehabilitator may recommend that the person contact another rehabilitator that might be a better match for the applicant's interests or volunteer for another organization. 

Selecting a sponsor

Some applicants assume their initial contact or the rehabilitator that lives closest to them will serve as their sponsor. In some cases, this might be appropriate and work out great, other cases it does not. The contacts listed on the rehabilitation booklet, including the CDOW (kathy.konishi@state.co.us) , may be able to help you identify names of potential sponsors. Identifying and talking with several potential sponsors may help you identify an effective match.

One of the first steps is deciding which types of animals you want to rehabilitate: birds, mammals, or herptiles. In Colorado, most people decide to rehabilitate birds or small mammals since they are commonly admitted to rehabilitation. People new to rehabilitation are encouraged to start learning and working with a relatively small number of species. This helps the person build their knowledge and skill, and prepare their facility in a reasonable time and for less cost (rehabilitating a wider variety of and larger species demand more extensive and costly facilities and supplies – up to many thousands of dollars). Not all rehabilitators may work with the species you may want to rehabilitate. You will need to find rehabilitators who work with those species, will consider sponsoring provisional permit holders, and are reasonably close in distance (there are different definitions of what a 'reasonable distance' is – it could range from 30 minutes to several hours.).

Some applicants have found it helpful to understand the potential sponsor's rehabilitation training, interests, and experience. Certainly find out what types of animals they rehabilitate and if those match your interests. Ask them about their type of rehabilitation permit and how long they have had it (they must have a full wildlife rehabilitation permit to sponsor provisional permit holders). What type of experience do they have (types of species, ages of animals and types of conditions treated, general numbers) and is it enough to train and oversee a provisional permit holder? What kind of training have they had and how do they continue their rehabilitation education? Are they members of state or national rehabilitation associations? What types of reference materials do they have and suggest? What do they expect you to learn and do as a provisional? What type of training and development do they provide or suggest for their volunteers or provisional permit holder? Also, what type of communication and supervision do they expect with their provisional permit holder? How much time can they provide to help a new volunteer or provisional? How are mutual expectations clarified? How will progress be determined? What type of feedback and learning support is available?

Some of this information may be available when you talk with the potential sponsor. You could also talk with other provisional rehabilitators that the person has sponsored. Consider how you feel about learning from and working with this potential sponsor. If one sponsor does not seem to be a close match for your interests and learning style, it is acceptable to consider other options. Making the arrangement for a rehabilitation sponsor is a joint decision between the applicant and the sponsor.

Getting started as a wildlife rehabilitator

• Become familiar with wildlife rehabilitation by reading the wildlife rehabilitation brochure and booklet and contacting experienced wildlife rehabilitators.
• Volunteer for a wildlife rehabilitator or rehabilitation facility. Find out if you like the work.
• Discuss with your family the degree to which you want to be involved and what that might mean. The wildlife rehabilitation booklet is a useful guide for that discussion.
• Contact the CDOW and review the application and related materials. Learn relevant local, state, and federal regulation that could impact wildlife rehabilitation, such as health department policies, animal control ordinances, or local zoning (city and county).
• Identify and arrange for a potential mentor or sponsor. Sponsors will have different approaches to helping you prepare to be a rehabilitator so it is critical to clarify expectations.
• Learn more about wildlife rehabilitation by reading, attending training programs, and talking with experienced rehabilitators. Examples of publications that new rehabilitators have found useful include the NWRA/IWRC Minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation, Wild Neighbors (Hadidian, et al; Fulcrum Publishing), Journal of Wildlife Rehabilitation (IWRC), and Wildlife Rehabilitation (NWRA). Schedules for rehabilitation training programs in Colorado may be available from rehabilitators or at www.Ewildagain.org.
• Obtain resource materials and supplies. Prepare facility.
• Find and arrange for a veterinarian willing to work with wildlife on medical problems.
• Apply for and obtain the appropriate state and federal permits.

By now, it is clear that wildlife rehabilitation has many different aspects. While it takes time and effort to get a permit and become a qualified wildlife rehabilitator, being able to provide effective help to wild animals in need, and see them released back to the wild is a tremendous achievement. Becoming a wildlife rehabilitator is not easy, but it is achievable and very worthwhile.

Thanks for your interest in wildlife rehabilitation in Colorado.

WildAgain Wildlife Rehabilitation

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