Wildlife Rehabilitation: From Rescue to Release

Host Gail Buhl caught up with Lauren Glickman, a former Volunteer Manager at PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society) in Seattle and current organizational training and development consultant. Lauren Glickman began her career in the Peace Corps, then found her way into wildlife rehabilitation in the Seattle area. There she volunteered at PAWS and quickly realized she had found a passion for animal care. After landing a full-time role as a volunteer coordinator, Lauren established monthly ethics lectures for new volunteers, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become her niche as a consultant. Also while working at PAWS, Lauren earned a Masters of Applied Behavioral Science. “I wanted to support people who were working for missions I cared about,” she said in our interview. In this episode, Gail dives into the complex topic of ethics in wildlife rehabilitation, one of Lauren’s specialties. They open the discussion by coming up with a working definition of of ethics, then dig into some specific cases that can arise with both animals and people in the course of wildlife rehabilitation operations. Such issues range from professionalism around animals being rehabilitated (no “nuzzling” of the squirrels, please) to informed consent during the recruiting and hiring process about wildlife rehabilitation job requirements and expectations.Resources:NWRA/IWRC Code of EthicsBook: Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring For Self While Caring For Others (Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky and Connie Burk 2009)Ideals and Realities: Presenting Wildlife Ethics to Volunteers and the Public. Lauren Glickman presented at the 2002 National Wildlife Rehabilitation Symposium, DeMoines, IA. Also published in NWRA Wildlife Rehabilitation Proceedings Vol 20. Linked here with permission of the Author. How Resilience Works by Diane Coutu How Resilience Works (hbr.org)Minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation, Third Edition (2000), Erica A. Miller, DVMSpecial thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Host Gail Buhl breaks from the podcast's usual taxa-specific format to discuss a topic of growing importance and interest in the wildlife rehabilitation world: databases. Such databases are the wildlife medicine equivalent of electronic medical records now used in most (human) healthcare systems and hospitals. In this episode Karra Pierce, a veterinary director at The Wildlife Center of Virginia, discusses the WILD-ONe database, which was launched there and is widely regarded as a top choice among wildlife rehabilitators and veterinarians for tracking the medical and day-to-day care of animals. This is the first of four wildlife databases we'll cover this season. These database-specific episodes will appear in the lineup as their creators and managers are available to speak with us. Visit The Wildlife Center of Virginia online: WILD-ONe | The Wildlife Center of VirginiaVisit WILD-ONe online: WILD-ONeSpecial thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

In Episode 5, Host Gail Buhl caught up with Rebecca Duerr, MPVM/DVM, one of the world's leading experts on water birds. Dr. Duerr serves as Director of Research and Veterinary Science as well as the primary veterinarian at International Bird Rescue's two wildlife centers in California. Jennifer Martines, one of IBR's talented veterinary and rehabilitation technicians, also joined the interview, which we recorded onsite at the 2023 NWRA Symposium in Wilmington, Delaware.Dr. Duerr and Jennifer first give us a brief overview of their origin stories. After we learn a bit about the winding career paths that led each of them to where they are today, we have an in-depth conversation at Brown Pelicans, which are a majestic migratory water bird that divide its time between the Southeastern U.S. and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Central California, and the Pacific Northwest coast, depending on the season. Find out more about Brown Pelicans through All About Birds produced by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Make sure to check your memberships with your state/national organizations to see if you have member benefit access to Birds of the World too! The conversation covers the basics of brown pelican rehabilitation, including some of the ways they land in rehab, intake, husbandry, treatment, diet, and preparation for release. We also hear how IBR handled a sudden huge influx in sick pelicans in 2022.UPDATE:8/9/2023 Dr. Duerr (along with many other authors) published a paper on a long term post release study on California Brown Pelicans. Read it here: MEDICAL HISTORY AND POST-RELEASE SURVIVAL OF REHABILITATED CALIFORNIA BROWN PELICANS PELECANUS OCCIDENTALIS CALIFORNICUS, 2009–2019 American Bird Conservancy has a good reference on Brown Pelican Natural History:Show Notes:International Bird Rescue started amid an oil spill in the San Francisco Bay area in 1971, and has since expanded its capacity as a responder for large stranding events. In addition to oil spill recovery support, IBR assists with sudden starvation events in seabirds, severe weather, and mass health events such as toxic algal blooms. Learn more here!VIDEO: IBR Staff and Volunteers Releasing Pelicans (See also, IBR’s news release about 100th Healthy Brown Pelican Released During California Pelican Crisis)Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Host Gail Buhl invites Partners For Wildlife podcast producer Kirk Klocke to step out of the booth and onto the mic to discuss public outreach, which is a big part of his role as the new P4W Outreach Specialist. Gail and Kirk quickly realize in the course of their back and forth about issues around public outreach communications & education that this discussion can spin off into deep dives across multiple areas, ranging from social media best practices, to how best to help staff and volunteers interact with the public, to a big elephant in the room that is explaining who we are, what we do, and what we don't do as rehabilitators. Gail's book recommendation as a tool to help explain some of the more sensitive aspects of wildlife rehabilitation, including answering that question: why bother rehabilitating prey species like rabbits and deer?Pass The Energy, Please! / Barbara Shaw McKinney (2000)Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Host Gail Buhl is back for a Part-2 with Brittany Turner, Rehabilitation Director at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, or "WRC." The conversation began in Episode 2 with a a look at Brittany's background and career at WRC. In this episode, we get into the nuts and bolts of songbird care, from intake through feeding, housing, and preparation for release. We also touch on a metabolic bone disease that is increasingly being seen in North America.There is SO much to cover about songbird care, we couldn't get into all of it in this interview. Brittany and Gail plan to record more, so keep an eye -- or ear -- out for more on songbirds later this season.For more on the WRC, visit: Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota (wrcmn.org)Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

I'm so glad you came back to listen to episode 2 of our second season, which began to drop in January, 2023. I spoke with Brittany Turner, who serves as Rehabilitation Director at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota. Brittany has led a fascinating and ambitious career, having started as nursery intern to a Director in just under 10 years! She has experience with all the 200+ species the WRC sees. Over the years Brittany has always had a special place in her heart for songbirds, which, by the way -- WRC treats over 1,000 songbirds representing about 50 species per year! This episode is part 1 of 2, so please check back again on Thursday, February 9th, 2023 for Part 2. Part 1 begins with an introduction to Brittany and her career in wildlife rehabilitation (listen also for a couple special furry guests around minute marker 8:00!), then dives into an overview of the WRC. If you want to skip straight to our discussion about songbirds, that begins around 23:00. Later, around 36:30 we get into defining types of songbirds and the variations on care they require, then around 43:00 our discussion shifts toward feathers. Quick facts:--WRC is the largest wildlife rehabilitation hospital in the world--WRC hosts 70 summer interns and utilizes about 500 volunteers--At any given time, WRC can have over 200 or more animals in-care, though the total number of animals receiving treatment often varies depending on the time of year and what is happening in the wildlife ecosystem.Want to learn more about how to support and get involved with WRC? Visit them online here: Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota (wrcmn.org)Again, so glad you've joined us for Season 2, Episode 2! -GailSpecial thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

This episode kicks off Season 2 of Wildlife Rehabilitation: From Rescue to Release! I am so excited about this episode. I think you will enjoy listening to it as much as Leslie Kollmann and I had recording it. I know you probably would not normally put “joy” and “infection control” in the same room, let alone the same sentence but when you find out how you can take simple steps to protect yourself and the animals you care for, you may actually stand up and cheer. Leslie Kollmann is a Certified Veterinary Technician from the Minnesota Department of Health’s Zoonotic Disease Unit. Prior to working at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Leslie was Infection Control and Safety Technician at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center. She has experience in all areas of veterinary related Infection Control and Occupational Health. Her wide-ranging experiences include working on a Veterinary Occupational Health and Infection Control Assessment Pilot Program as well as a pilot program for wildlife rehabilitators, sanctuaries, and zoos called the Wildlife Occupational Health and Infection Control Assessment-or fondly referred to as WOHICA.Leslie has authored two book chapters on Infection Control and Zoonotic Diseases and has been a co-author on various other articles. Leslie and I had a wonderful and joyful conversation about how we as rehabilitators can use simple thoughtful techniques to improve infection control practices for ourselves and the animals that come into our care. We did spend a bit of time talking about hand washing. You may think you know all there is to know about washing your hands, but I think you will find out there is more to learn. There is a great activity you can do at home or with other rehabilitators to see just how well you wash your hands. There are lotion products that when seen under UV light, show you just how well - or not - you have washed your hands. One of the products is called Glo-Germ. There are videos of the Glow Germ exercise on the site Glo Germ: Handwashing training . Sometimes just simply putting up reminders to wash your hands increases your infection control. The MDH has a lot of great posters on hand washing that you can print, laminate, and post. Here is a great hand hygiene printout.We weren’t done yet. We talked about cleaning and disinfection, how to make a make a makeshift sink from Pinterest when you are in places without a handwashing sink.We also talked about higher levels of protection, such as wearing gowns. But you need to know how to put on (don) and take them off (doff) properly. Here are some videos to help you practice if you need to wear gowns/N95 , and another on how to Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Calling all plant people, foragers and rehabilitators! Ready to forage for a cause? Naturalist Kate Guenther is working to bridge the gap between the foraging community and rehabilitators through her ongoing project Wildfoods4Wildlife. As a website and database designed to share knowledge of wild foods and animals’ diets, Wildfoods4Wildlife is a wonderful resource for rehabilitators, and volunteers interested in the connection between flora and fauna in wildlife rehabilitation. In this episode, Guenther discusses how foraging for rehabilitation can be used to help feed orphaned, injured or sick animals. We discuss the benefits and limitations behind the use of wild foods during rehabilitation. Rehabilitation volunteers and volunteer foragers can use this website to learn how they can assist their local rehabilitation centers. This resource is a great way to learn a new skill and gain insight on where to find and utilize foraging communities and other volunteer groups. Check out Wildfood4Wildlife.com for more information about wild foods and wildlife in your area. Kate suggested a few other resources on plant identification as you delve into the world of plants and foraging for the animals in your care. She suggested 3 books to get you started in Identification: Newcomb's Wildflower Guide; Peterson's Field Guide to Wildflowers and Plant Identification and Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary. This is our last podcast episode of this inaugural season! Thank you so much for coming along on this journey. Please connect! Did you have a favorite episode? Did you have a least favorite episode? Here is my email: [email protected] Our next season will start sometime this fall. We will again have some episodes on caring for more "common" species in rehabilitation, a few on not common species, and other episodes will be on resources I hope you can use. Lastly, there will be at least ONE episode on training Ambassador Animals for use in conservation education. For those of you that know me my paid professional career has been in training, managing and presenting Ambassador Animals to the general public. I have had so much fun learning and putting this podcast together. We are such a wonderful diverse group of people that is always wanting to share and help others in their rehabilitation. Thanks to ALL of my guests this season for being SO willing to share their expertise with all of us! I have learned a lot, enjoyed my conversations and hope you have too. GailSpecial thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Host Gail Buhl is joined by Tim Jasinski, Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist at Lake Erie Nature and Wildlife Center in Bay Village, Ohio. We talk about an underappreciated bird the Timberdoodle. What is a Timberdoodle you ask? Some know it as the "Bog Stomper." Bog Stomper is my new favorite name for the American Woodcock (Scolopax minor). Lake Erie Nature and Wildlife Center receives 200+ woodcock every year for rehabilitation. Tim and I talk about the natural history of the Woodcock and why that makes this species particularly difficult to rehabilitate. And on the flip side why the natural history of this bird is critical for successful rehabilitation efforts of adults and young orphans. Tim and I got connected when a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Duluth, Minnesota, called Wildwoods, received some young Woodcock and we were looking for the best way to care for them. Valerie, Wildlife Rehabilitator at Wildwoods, Tim and I decided that after the busy season we would write down an SOP from all the information in Tim's head about rehabilitation of Woodcock. We did just that. On the Partners for Wildlife Podcast webpage there is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for rehabilitation of adult and orphan American Woodcock for everyone to download and use. This is a long episode, so please pause and come back to it if you need to but I think you will find it a very interesting listen! Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

In this episode, Stephanie McMahon, Board Chair of Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Ontario Canada and licensed therapist, and Dr. Renee Schott, Medical Director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota rejoin host Gail to elaborate on last episode’s conversation on compassion fatigue. They further explore the intersection of self-care and rehabilitation. Listen to learn about the different elements of self-care and what rehabilitators can do avoid burn out and compassion fatigue. Also, get an inside look into Stephanie and Renee's journey to promote healthy well-being and their mission to inform, educate and spread awareness about compassion fatigue. We discuss action steps and resources to help navigate the world of self compassion and self-care in order to change the conversation surrounding mental health within wildlife rehabilitation. Check out Stephanie and Renee's Facebook page: Wellness for Wildlife Warriors and their podcast: Wellness for Wildlife Warriors!Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Stephanie McMahon is the Board Chair of Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Ontario Canada and a licensed therapist, and Dr. Renee Schott is the Medical Director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota. These expert guests take the stage in the next two episodes to bring attention and awareness to a condition many rehabilitators suffer from but may not know they have.Compassion fatigue: What is it, what are the identifying symptoms, and, more importantly, how does someone prevent or overcome it? Host Gail's conversation with Stephanie and Renee shed light on this very real and commonly shared issue by helping rehabilitators define and understand the various states of compassion fatigue, its signs, and its effects on their performance, effectiveness and well-being. We discuss preventive measures, intervention tips and resources for support. These experts touch on topics relating to self-care and self-compassion in their efforts to breaking down the lingering social stigma behind mental health and offer help to those within the realm of wildlife rehabilitation. Check out Stephanie and Renee's Facebook page: Wellness for Wildlife Warriors and their podcast: Wellness for Wildlife Warriors!Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

This is the last in our series of episodes on Eastern Cottontail rabbits. Laura and I had a great conversation talking about housing of cottontails at all ages. They are a little easier to house than many of the other animals rehabilitators care for. We also talk in depth about release criteria and all the details to think about to make their transition to the wild as successful as possible.This is a long one, so you may have to pause and come back to it --maybe while you are feeding baby buns! Check out the videos, if you haven't already, on stimulating young rabbits to urinate, doing an intake exam, and syringe feeding on the Wildlife Rehabilitation From Rescue to Release website. Let me know your thoughts on this series! [email protected] thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

So you are able to get your young eastern cottontail rabbit eating formula--or maybe you are tube feeding the youngsters. They are growing and developing so quickly! It is time to start weaning the young rabbits. Here in lies the danger however--switching to solid food too quickly can be devastating to the developing gut of the rabbit. Laura Davich Jette and I sit down and have a detailed conversation about weaning young cottontail rabbits. I learned SO much about setting the rabbit and you up for success during the weaning process.We have several resources for you at our webpage. There are videos and a wonderful set of handouts for raising cottontail rabbits. You can find those here.We also discuss another resource called Wildfoods 4 Wildlife. Look for my conversation with the Founder of Wildfoods 4 Wildlife in a future episode. For now, I hope you enjoy this episode of Wildlife Rehabilitation From Rescue to Release.Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Eastern cottontail rabbits are a high stress prey species. They are one of the hardest wild animals to rehabilitate. This episode I speak with Laura Davich-Jette a Minnesota based wildlife rehabilitator that specializes in cottontail rabbits. Since stress is a real experience for all young cottontail rabbits, everything rehabilitators can do to reduce stress needs to be considered. The episode explores intake exams and how to reduce the rabbit's stress. Laura shares some pro-tips about how to do a thorough exam in under two minutes. Gail and Laura go over how to assess hydration and how to alleviate dehydration. They talk formulas and probiotics and the pros and cons of the different choices. The best is saved for last--a talk about urination and defecation! Laura has a technique for encouraging young rabbits to urinate and defecate that you have to hear to believe!For the last episode in this series, Laura and Gail finish with a talk about raising cottontail rabbits, from weaning to housing to release. We end with some audio that offers a glimpse into future episodes!Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

North America is currently experiencing an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in both wild and domestic birds. To discuss this devastating disease and the implications for wildlife rehabilitation, I am joined by Dr. Victoria Hall, Executive Director at TheRaptorCenter at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Hall is the Patrick T. Redig Endowed Chair in Raptor and Ecosystem Health. She holds a Master of Science in Preventative Medicine and a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Mississippi State and is board certified in Veterinary Preventive Medicine. Dr. Hall has spent her career working at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health - an intersection known as “One Health.” Dr. Hall formerly served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, responding to infectious disease outbreaks in human health, including: multidrug resistant tuberculosis, measles virus, and Zika virus. With experience at organizations including the Smithsonian National Zoo, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the United States Department of Agriculture, Dr. Hall is passionate about working on complex ecosystem health challenges on a global scale and engaging stakeholders and partners of all levels. Now as Executive Director of The Raptor Center, she oversees a team of professionals who treat over 1,000 injured raptors a year and who care for 28 ambassador birds. In addition to excellence in care for individual birds, she also leads innovative ecosystem health research at the University of Minnesota to help secure the future of the environment that humans and animals share. This involves working on critical health challenges, like SARS-CoV-2, lead toxicity, and avian influenza which is the topic of this episode. Dr. Hall describes what HPAI is, what the letter/number combination H5N1 mean, and how seriously we should be concerned about this globally reportable disease. How does the disease (if the bird is symptomatic) manifest? We also talk about what biosecurity means in a wildlife rehabilitation setting —whether it is a one room operation or large wildlife rehabilitation center like The Raptor Center (TRC). Special thanks: Production assistance by Twin Cities based audio engineer Thom Whetston.This episode concludes with the track “Firebirds,” which is the closing track on INFINITE INFINITIES, the debut LP from the band INFINITIES, recorded in Minneapolis in 2015. Simon Calder songwriter and: vox + guitar, Tristan Bion Craig: drums + bass, Leigh Marson: vox recorded and mixed by Adam Paulus at Luck Machine mastered by Edward Folly at Folly Manor. Used with permission from the artist.To download, please visit: https://infinities8.bandcamp.com/track/firebirdsHere are more resources so you can learn more about HPAI. Webinars: TRC: https://umnadvet.instructure.com/courses/524ZAHP: https://zahp.org/hpai-updates-for-zoo-wildlife-professionals-webinar-recording/Resources:USGS: Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus-2 is a disease that affects both domestic rabbits and wild rabbits and hares. It is a fatal disease that is also extremely contagious. If that wasn't bad enough, this disease is very hardy in many environments and is easily moved from one place to another via fomites -- clothes, shoes, cages, cage furniture etc. Laura Davich Jette is an Eastern cottontail rabbit wildlife rehabilitator in Minnesota. In her day job she is an Emergency Room nurse. This makes her very suited to working on all the biosecurity protocols one would need to be able to rehabilitate wild rabbits and hares. In this episode we talk about what RHDV-2 is, where it came from, how it spreads and how we as rehabilitators can protect the rabbits in our care from this fatal disease. Here are some additional Resources about RHDV-2 to help you plan your biosecurity:APHIS-USDA: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/fs-rhdv2.pdfAVMA: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-health/rabbit-hemorrhagic-diseaseRHDV-2 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rabbithemorrhagicdiseasenewsnetwork/Wisconsin. gov: https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/RabbitHemorrhagicDisease.aspxWildlife Health: https://wildlifehealth.org/rabbit-hemorrhagic-disease-virus/ Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

In our last two episodes on creance flying raptors I talked in depth with Lori Arent, Assistant Director of The Raptor Center (TRC) about her journey to TRC and what eventually led to a study regarding reconditioning raptors using the creance technique. Tune into this final episode Creance Technique in Practice as we focus on what creance flying looks like--the ins and outs of this useful tool to ready raptors for release. Lori goes into the details of a raptor exercise program including the nitty gritty of what species specific gear is needed, where and when you fly and what staff/volunteers you may need to make it successful. From the field you exercise the raptors on, down to the leathers you use on their legs- no detail goes unnoticed. We talk about stress levels in raptors and how to reduce stress before, during and after the flight session. TRC uses a raptor centric/patient centric approach to all aspects of raptor rehabilitation and it shows. We also discuss why she feels it is critical to recondition raptors to prepare them for success in the wild. If you would like to learn more about creance flying than these podcast episodes can teach you, here are a few options:1. First look at the sample video Lori has provided so you can get a better understanding of what creance flying looks like. It is a compilation video set to music. 2. The Raptor Academy offers an online self study course on creance flying called Reconditioning and Release 3. The Raptor Academy also offers an ebook called Reconditioning Raptors: A Training Manual for the Creance Technique on the subject of reconditioning raptors for release. I want to give my deep thanks to Lori and the team at The Raptor Center for spending the time to talk to me about raptors and the art and science of reconditioning them using the creance technique. I learned a lot and I think you will too. Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Host Gail is joined again by Lori Arent, Assistant Director of The Raptor Center (TRC) at the University of Minnesota, for a captivating conversation about how the science of the creance technique for reconditioning raptors was developed. So much of what is done in wildlife rehabilitation is educated guesses. This episode explores how educated guesses and trial and error led to the study of reconditioning. It is an art that pulls from the biomechanics of flight, sports physiology, and horse racing!If you want to learn more about creance flying for rehabilitation, please check out the eBook: Reconditioning Raptors: A Training Manual for the Creance Technique by Lori Arent.Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

This series of episodes will focus on creance flying as a reconditioning technique for raptors as the last step before release back into the wild. Host Gail is joined by Lori Arent, Assistant Director of The Raptor Center (TRC) at the University of Minnesota for an interesting set of conversations about creance flying. They discuss Lori's journey from interest in animals to a passion for raptors. She became a falconer early in her career at TRC to learn as much as possible about raptor flight and how that, coupled with her science background, led to the scientific studies on reconditioning raptors. If you are interested more on creance flying for rehabilitation, please check out the eBook: Reconditioning Raptors: A Training Manual for the Creance Technique by Lori Arent.Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

This is part-4 of a conversation with Debbie Sykes about white tail deer fawn. We spend more time on nutrition and the types of plants the young fawns should be exposed to as they are growing to get them ready for release. The episode continues with housing, covering both indoor and outdoor housing, and what are the most important factors for each from the fawn's point of view. We also touch on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which is affecting deer in many places around the country. We also have a good discussion about soil! You will find all the episodes plus resources on white tail deer fawn and much more at the webpage for Wildlife Rehabilitation From Rescue to Release! Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Debbie talks in detail on how to evaluate a white tail deer fawn when it comes into care. What are the factors for first housing a fawn? How does grouping of young fawn reduce stress? We also talk a lot about the GI system of deer and critical importance of nutrition. What are the components of nutrition, when should you introduce solid foods, and in what form should it take? If that is not enough, Gail and Debbie talk and have a laugh when and how often to stimulate a fawn. Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Listen as Debbie Sykes of Nashville Wildlife Conservation discusses white tail deer fawns and the first point of contact wildlife rehabilitators have with that fawn -- the public. Gail and Debbie discuss how to enlist the caller/finder as an advocate for the fawn, including when the fawn should be left alone. As rehabilitators, we want to educate the finders on what is the best for the fawn. Gail and Debbie also discuss strategies to make the right decision for the individual animal. Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Debbie Sykes tells us about how her college biology program led her to discover wildlife rehabilitation as a fulfilling career. In just a few years, Debbie's passion for the field carried her from rehabilitator newbie to expert specializing in North American White Tailed Deer.Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).

Wildlife rehabilitator Sara Cole, of Duluth, MN discusses the process of becoming a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and establishing a home wildlife rehabilitation practice. Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. Our executive producer and host is Gail Buhl. Our producer is Kirk Klocke.To learn more about The Raptor Center, visit Homepage | The Raptor Center (umn.edu). For more on Partners for Wildlife, visit Partners for Wildlife Home | The Raptor Center (umn.edu).