Wildlife Rehabilitation: From Rescue to Release

We’re so excited to have Dr. Peregrine Wolff and Sarah Sirica on the show. Dr. Peregrine Wolff is the Executive Manager of WDA, and Sarah Sirica is the Treasurer of WDA and the Veterinarian for City Wildlife in Washington, D.C. In this two-part discussion, we do a deep dive on the Wildlife Disease Association, which turned 75 this year!

Resources:
Wildlife Disease Association
WDA Upcoming Events

In this episode, we chat with John Griffin, the Senior Managing Director of Urban Wildlife Programs for Humane World for Animals. We discuss principles of rescue, how to assess scenarios to plan your approach for both rescue and exclusions, recommended tools for building a beginner's rescue kit, and more!

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources:
Choosing a Wildlife Control Company for Ethical Animal Removal
Humane World for Animals — Resources & Tools
Wild Neighbors Pledge
Humane Wildlife Conflict Resolution Guide

This is part two of our conversation with Cindy Daily, Ryan Law, and Jessika Madison-Kennedy about how we connect with the people who bring us injured animals. We share our experiences and lessons learned about meeting Finders where they are, building trust, and turning these moments into opportunities to help people feel more connected to the natural world.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

The first two episodes of our sixth season are about how we connect with the people who bring us injured animals. We discuss how we can use empathy, patience, and intention not only to help the person in the moment but to foster a lifelong interest in the Finder toward the natural world.
 
I really like this relatively easy way to remind myself of how to approach people in and out of the wildlife rehabilitation realm. The Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing developed P.I.C.K. So take a deep breath, let it out, and remember:

P = Patience.
There is someone on the other side
I = Intention.
Think about what you want to say and the outcome you want your message to have
C = Clarity.
Mindfulness regarding how you communicate and to be concise yet clear
K = Kindness.
In a world where you can be anything, choose to be kind

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:
Previous episode with Partners for Wildlife’s Chad Caruthers

We close out our fifth season with the second part of our discussion with Dr. Julia Ponder, the Director Emeritus of The Raptor Center, on lead toxicity in bald eagles. Join us in taking a close look at the treatment and care of bald eagles with lead exposure and the changes that can be made for a lead-free future.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:
Sporting Lead-Free
North American Lead-free Partnership 
Eagles and Lead - SOARRaptors
Lead Toxicity in Bald Eagles _American Eagle Fdn
Bullet Fragmentation and Lead Deposition in White-Tailed Deer and Domestic Sheep
Effects of lead from ammunition on birds and other wildlife: A review and update
Lead from Spent Ammunition: a Source of Exposure and Poisoning in Bald Eagles