Rehabiliation
What is Rehabilitation?
Rehabilitation entails far more then just a safe place to stay and providing basic care! Thats "shelter " Not rehab.
True Rehabiliation is the art of "restoring health", both mental and physical, and the ability to return to normal life, through medical and theraputic care, nutrition, reconditioning and enrichemnt, after an injury, trauma, or illness.
This process is difficult enough in humans, in pets too, but in wildlife its really quite challenging.
Wild animals are naturally terrified of humans, ss they should be. They are usually suffering from trauma, both mental and physical, and they often have serious injuries or illnesses. We have to be very mindful of everything we do, from the moment they arrive to the moment they're released. We have to give them the appropriate emergency care to treat any injuries or illness, assess their overall health, determine their individual medical and physical needs. Provide treatment and appropriate therapies, nursing care, daily care, nutrition, enrichment, reconditioning and evaluation at every step of their rehab journey. In the most natural environment possible to reduce stress and enhance overall wellness, all the while, minimizing their exposure to us to reduce the risk of them imprinting on their caregivers, to ensure they maintain a healthy fear of humans.
This is most tricky with orphaned baby wildlife. When they dont feel safe, they wont eat. If they dont eat, they cannot survive.
We must establish a basic level of trust to care for them while very young while still minimizing their association of food, with their human caregivers. This is not easy, but crucial. As soon as they are able, we get them into an outside environment and reduce contact to a bare minimum, we feed them from behind blinds and use compartmental elements in their enclosures to reduce visibilty while cleaning and feeding. Its a long, difficult process sometimes. A neccesary step in successful rehabilitation.
Its a delicate balancing act. And when we have to say goodbye, its so bittersweet. Every time we set an animal free, we always hope we've taught them well enough, made them strong enough, and wise enough to once again fend for themselves out there in the wild!
Wildlife belongs in their natural habitat. Wild and Free!
We will always be their voice, their biggest advocates, their protectors.
Rescue is Hard, its Raw, Irs Real life.
Welcome to the WIldside of Rescue !