Hello! I am the Vice President of a Fox Rescue here in Florida. I have my Class III permit and am looking to move into rehabilitation as well. My hope is to be able to move into the "exotic" category eventually, but for now I am simply trying to begin studying and learning.

Most recommendations are for books that are either no longer available, don't seem to have the information I am looking for, or they just don't seem to be a good source of knowledge. I prefer physical books, but I am not opposed to reading on my Kindle. I also welcome videos and audio! I just don't want to jump in and realize that I've been stuffing my head full of knowledge that doesn't "matter".

Thank you in advance! Here's a picture of one of our foxes, Blue, who is an owner surrender. We have 16 in all, 12 of which are fur farm rescues.

I'm going to the National Wildlife Rehabilitatiors Association symposium this upcoming February. Is anyone else going from this group? It is my first time going to this event, I am definitely looking forward to it.

For anyone who has gone in the past, what can I expect to see and do? I've already signed up for a couple workshops. I haven't signed up to go on any field trips, would they be worth going on?

All in all, super stoked to be able to go!

Would a local wildlife rehab typically be able to help a sick coyote with mange?

So yesterday I notice a lesion on my ankle and I’m paranoid it a bat bite even tho I haven’t seen a bat in years and didn’t see any bat in my vicinity recently . I saw a news report the other day about a lady who died a month later after being bit by a bat so that what triggered my paranoia . So does it look like a bat bite or am I just being neurotic

https://preview.redd.it/oxnid0376w4e1.jpg?width=1206&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fd88cb240fef2805f9f91b309a9ae72a180d6f1d

I posted several months back about the sad story of the bunny nest in our yard and how when they all started leaving the nest they were one-by-one were killed by the cats that live behind our house. Mama bunny has come back to our yard at night or early morning regularly ever since. She seems to like our clover and feel some safety back there.

She holds a special place for me after the trauma we all went through and now that it's getting cold, I'm just wondering if there's anything I can leave out for her to keep her warm and fed. Obviously don't want to interfere with nature but just thought i'd ask. Thanks!

I'm in coastal Washington state. We receive beached Surf Scoters from time to time, and we have a really hard time getting them back to a waterproofed state. They don't preen as much as other waterbirds. They're messy eaters, so they get fish bits all over themselves. We've tried a quick Dawn & rinse. We swim them in a warm bath and dry them with a dryer, but when we put them back in water they look like a wet dishrag after 5 minutes.

https://reddit.com/link/1h5t9or/video/uefgsjcs7o4e1/player

I found this small birdie that fell from a tree last night and was scared and could not fly, he looks like some feathers aretorn off, or are almost torn off, i left it on a box with plenty of water and bread crumbs to eat (he did eat some so thats good i think) Its been a day now, any ideas how i could help him get better?

So a couple days ago I found a baby rock pigeon on my balcony, fledgling who could move and run around and stuff. I put out food and water to see if she’d eat and she did! I also made the mistake (?) of putting out a cardboard box with a blanket in it. Baby moved in and made herself cozy! Next day, mama pigeon decided to spend the night in the box with the baby, very cute, she flew away and kept an eye on the baby throughout the day

Today I wake up, my (indoor) cats are freaking out at the window. I go check on the bird. Y’all. There are now TWO baby birds in the box?????? Moms sitting on the roof watching me make this discovery, cooing at me, um ma’am come take your children??

I think I might have accidentally made them a nest? Is there like standard practice for this?? Do I stop interacting with them/putting out food so I don’t mess up their development? This same bird had made a nest on our roof (which I’m assuming is where these babies hatched, its too high to see anything) and I guess she decided she liked it here

Hi friends! In case its of interest, I wanted to share this incredible rehab story from our Project Wildlife team! (Please remove if not ok to share!)

After spending nearly six months in our care, a young female mountain lion is back in the wild where she belongs! The cougar was first brought to our Ramona Wildlife Center on May 30 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) severely emaciated, anemic and with soft tissue trauma. She had been found in Yucca Valley by a member of the public, with wounds that were consistent with an animal attack. Due to her low body weight, she was presumably too weak to fully fend off her attackers.

Once at our Ramona Wildlife Center, our Project Wildlife veterinary team gave her pain medication, and antibiotics and carefully treated her wounds. During a recheck in June, our team determined her wounds were healing well and she was moved to an outside enclosure to continue her recovery. While outside, our team monitored the mountain lion from a distance with trail cameras in a habitat that closely mimicked her life in the wild.

Once she was fully rehabilitated and healed, the lion was released in the vast landscape of San Bernardino County! We’re so grateful to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and our incredible Project Wildlife team for giving this mountain lion the chance for a healthy future in her natural habitat!

https://reddit.com/link/1h5bq4e/video/sd460laucj4e1/player

I live in the DFW area of Texas in the United States, and have been wanting to get pre-exposure vaccinated against rabies so that I can work more closely with foxes, bats, skunks, etc. It has been a NIGHTMARE trying to navigate this.

I know that I can go to the Health & Human Services folks, but they want $435 per shot, and don't accept my insurance. It’s unclear if they offer the 2 or the 3 short course. But either way I’m looking at ~$900 after fees at the bare minimum.

My employer health insurance says they cover it 100%, but only if it’s administered in a GP-type doctors office. I have called close to 30 different doctors offices in my area, but none of them carry or are willing to order the pre-exposure rabies vaccine.

I've attempted to use Walgreens and CVS for their vaccines, but everytime I register for an appointment, I arrive and they tell me their machine won't process the request so they can't give it to me. THEY EVEN HAVE IT IN STOCK, but their system won't process MY request.

I've attempted to talk to doctors at 2 different emergency rooms, but they won't talk to me unless I register an emergency room visit and pay a $400 copay with my health insurance provider JUST to talk to them (not even including any shots!!!!)

I've even tried reaching out to few vet clinics because in my mind whatever health insurance they have MUST cover it (right??) but each time I call either they are unwilling to talk to me about it, or they don't offer health insurance, or they say their job doesn't truly require it.

I’m at my wit’s end. The health insurance company can’t [probably won’t, actually] give me any pointers on how to navigate, and the only folks I know who have managed to wrangle one without paying $1000 have opted to tell someone that it’s a post-exposure situation, and I’m not willing to do that out of fear for legal/insurance/health repercussions.

Has anyone in this group managed to get a pre-exposure rabies vaccine and not paid an arm and a leg? How did you do it? Is it something that translates to Texas? Is this a thing I can do a medical tourist thing for? Since I’m in Texas I could fly to Mexico easily if I thought I could get out of this for cheaper. My mom is in Michigan, so I could also easily go the Canada route if that’s even a thing. I'm even considering trying to GoFundMe for it. What I REFUSE to do, though, is try and get the Wildlife Rehab Center to pay for it. They've already fundraised a ton of money for me to attend an educational conference and so I refuse to even broach the subject.

We have an RSPB provided bird box in our garden. A pair of blue tits have nested in it for the last 4 or more years. Every winter we clean it out and put it back but most years there have been the remains of dead baby Blue tits in the nest. This year there are four of them. We are in an aream flooded with Magpies in on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Image in comments

What if anything can we do to help improve the birds success raising there young?

We would also like to put a camera in the box, but given the lack of success we are reluctant to interfere further without guidance.

I'm from Paraguay. This morning I woke up to my cat taking a little bird under the bed. After I took it from him I put it on a box with proper ventilation. What should I do?

Hello,

I'm in the SF Bay Area. I caught three mice with traps in my kitchen that are called mouse motels. So they're alive and I'm relieved I'll be getting rid of some of then before I can get a pest control company in here.

Would a wildlife rehab take them off my hands to feed a bird of prey or other wild animal? Or would a pet snake owner feed house mice to their snake? Or should I let them free in one of the many parks in the area where wildlife is supported? I guess I should have thought this through. I'm guessing since these little ones have the potential to have diseases pet owners and maybe even wildlife rescues would not want them? Also, if I just let them loose in the wild do they have a chance of surviving with it being almost December? I figure if they become part of the circle of life and get swooped up by a hawk or an owl that's OK.

I would appreciate input. Thanks!

These are two animals I see in the city regularly that get injured way too often. What risks am I taking with my pets (cats and chinchillas) if I handle these forms of wildlife? And how to I adequately protect them?

Edit: I apologize for the confusion. I’m asking about precautions for me a regular citizen who would like to transport city wildlife in need to a wildlife rehabber.

Part of what led me to start considering this question is that I may have encountered a sick possum. I was wary to not touch him. He was running in circles in the street, so while I did make sure to watch over him and make sure he didn’t get run over, I definitely didn’t have knowledge of the risks and precautions necessary for transporting him!

I was called to pick up a HBC owl, it has already been taken to a licensed rehabber but I’m curious about its prognosis. I didn’t get too much of a look at it since I was hurrying to transport it, but I did snag a picture before dropping it off. I haven’t done wildlife work in a few years but I’m looking to get back into it and I’m trying to basically relearn everything!

It was hit last night and picked up this afternoon from the same spot it was left at. From what I can see, I believe the humerus is broken and looks a bit high up. The owl also may have head trauma (no nystagmus/head tilt/etc but squinting its right eye). This little thing was pretty feisty and willing to fight back which I know is a good sign!

What do you think its chances are for survival? The rehabber said they’d get X-rays as soon as their vet is available, and they weren’t able to give me a decent opinion when I asked. Thanks!

Praticamente a giugno ho trovato un piccolo passero, non avendo trovato posti per la riabilitazione di fauna selvatica vicino casa mia ho deciso di provare a dargli una chance di vita provando a nutrirlo. Non è stata una grossa impresa visto che i passeri mangiano di tutto, gli davo con una siringa il pastone bianco per canarini ammorbidito in acqua come mi era stato suggerito. Di crescere è cresciuto, ma le piume si sono sviluppate malissimo, probabilmente per mancanza di nutrienti (provavo a dargli anche vari pezzi di frutta e insetti per variare la sua dieta). Dopo un mese ha iniziato a mangiare solo i semi, solo che nin era ancora in grado di volare a causa delle sue poche piume. A settembre ha iniziato a fare la muta, e oggi ha fatto il suo primo piccolo volo. Il problema è uno, dopo 8 mesi sarà in grado di essere liberato in natura? Ancora non sa volare bene e non mi sembra il periodo migliore per liberarlo visto che sta per arrivare il freddo. Dovrei tenerlo oppure rilasciarlo in natura?

I recently found a new holland honeyeater on the ground who could not fly, and it looked like it was sort of convulsing. Its head had been moving in circles and it was shaking severely and i assumed it flew into something or fell. I brought it home and it seemed to have recovered overnight. I tried to release it but quickly realised it was a weak flyer, and have now realised it is actually a fledging. I don't know much about birds and am not sure where to go from here, any advice would be very much appreciated.