Rescuing disabled wild animals requires a unique set of skills, very different from those used in handling domestic animals. WildRescue is offering a unique class on these commands, taught by international experts who respond to wildlife emergencies on a regular basis. While the class is tailored for animal control officers, park rangers, game wardens, biologists, and wildlife rehabilitators, members of the public are invited. Students must be 18 years or older.
Helping to mark the one-year anniversary of the Cosco Busan disaster, the first class of many classes is being offered November 8th through the Berkeley Marina Shorebird Park Nature Center. A second, hosted by the Farallones Marine Sanctuary, is slated for December 6th, at Crissy Field. For more information on hosting a class in your area, or to register, go to wildrescue.org or call 831-869-6241. Class fee is $40 with discounts available to government agencies and charities.
“There are a lot of people out there who want to know how to help animals in crisis. History has shown us that when we don’t give them that information, they’ll take things into their own hands, said Jay Holcomb, Executive Director of the International Bird Rescue Research Center. “By providing this type of training, we’re able to guide people to work within the system for the greater good.”
WildRescue’s director, Rebecca Dmytryk, sees this educational campaign as a means of building a community’s corps of specially trained individuals who may be called upon to rescue injured wild animals – be there one or thousands. She hopes many will be recruited by local rescue organizations wishing to bolster their own capabilities.
