PAWS Academy: Helping Wildlife at the PAWS Wildlife Center
July 20, 2020
Written by Madi Cook, PAWS Education Intern
Wildlife Series Covers Wildlife in Need!
In this week’s video, you can follow the care of young Black-crowned Night Herons after a rookery, or a tree with multiple nests, fell to the ground.
PAWS Wildlife Center
Thousands of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife are rehabilitated and treated through the PAWS Wildlife Center’s emergency hospital and specialized recovery facilities with the goal of returning them to their wild population once they are fit and healthy. Expert care is provided for more than 260 species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. In Washington State, PAWS is one of the few permitted facilities to rehabilitate American Black Bears and marine mammals, specifically Harbor Seals.
General Treatment of a Baby Bird
When a baby bird is brought to PAWS, it is taken to the drop-off window. Here, a PAWS Wildlife Admissions Specialist retrieves information like where the bird was found, what happened to the bird , and any other information that could help with the treatment of the baby bird. Next, the bird is carried to the wildlife intake room and an initial check-in exam occurs. This exam includes checking the wild animal for injuries and recording the weight of the wild animal. After the initial exam, the baby bird is placed in a safe space for a short period to rest. If the wild animal is very cold or sick, this could be an incubator.
Then, a Wildlife Rehabilitator takes over. The baby bird undergoes another initial exam to examine for major issues and create an initial treatment plan. In some cases, a PAWS Wildlife Veterinarian is needed to assess the wild animal. The patient may require x-rays, procedures or medicine. Any medical issues are managed by the PAWS Wildlife Veterinarians and general care is provided by Wildlife Rehabilitators. Usually, orphaned baby birds are not injured, but require assistance for food and water.
As the exam continues, the Wildlife Rehabilitator prepares an enclosure in the Baby Bird Nursery. Opaque glass in this area creates a calmer environment for the baby birds by limiting their sight of humans. Incubators are used to keep the baby birds warm while they grow and once stabilized the baby bird will join other similar baby birds to simulate their normal experience in a nest. If the baby bird is a waterfowl, it will be transported to the Waterfowl Nursery instead. Here, high walled containers and boxes the babies can hide in are used to limit human exposure. Once the baby waterfowl gets larger, it can be moved into a more spacious area with a small pool for swimming and then into an even bigger area with a large pool.
A final exam by the PAWS Wildlife Veterinarian evaluates whether the baby bird is ready to be released back into the wild. This opinion can be finalized with help from other PAWS Wildlife staff. If the wild animal is healthy and able to take care of itself, it will be released back into the wild near where it was found in an area where it can fulfill its basic needs, or in other words, its habitat.
How You Can Help
Want to help the wild animals at PAWS Wildlife Center? You can do one of the following:
- Become a wildlife sponsor for a species PAWS Wildlife Center cares for here.
- Donate items from our wildlife wish list found here.
- If you have property you wish to be considered as a possible PAWS release site join our Shared Spaces Program here.
- Donate to save the life of an animal in need here.
This Week’s Activities
Visit paws.org/PAWSAcademy and you will find two sets of activities at different difficulty levels along with a word search and coloring sheet all about this week’s topic! Test your knowledge on wildlife centers and learn more about caring for wildlife by completing this week’s activities.
Continue to Learn with Us!
If you missed last week’s episode on wild neighbors or are unaware of our pet series, you can learn more at paws.org/PAWSAcademy. Check back next Wednesday to start learning about the issues facing wildlife as we will address habitat loss in the fifth episode of PAWS Academy wildlife series. Thank you for continuing to uncover how you can make a difference in animals’ lives!
If you have any questions or suggestions you can reach us at [email protected].