Most Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers are not large like the ones you see on the nature programs on T.V.. Most of us run out of our homes and backyards. We do it without any Federal or State funding. We do it out of love for nature. We are some of the Division of Wildlife’s biggest volunteers; we do thousands of hours a year. Funding our centers is our responsibility. Our education is our responsibility also. In most states you have to be licensed by the state and sometimes also the Federal Government. This is for the critter’s well being, because then he goes to someone trained to handle that species.

It takes long hours and lots of money (that you don’t have). In one day you will be shown something amazing, and then come face to face with death. The best paycheck ever is successfully releasing that critter back into the wild. Which is good, for there is no glory in cleaning up piles and piles of manure. It is strictly for the love of the animals. And love of all animals, not just the cute and popular ones. Hey, coyotes need love too! They are all part of our eco system. You shoot all the coyotes, and then you have population problems with species that they eat, like the cottontails or gophers. It is the delicate balance of nature.

What we do as Wildlife Rehabbers is to try and help keep the balance between wildlife and man. Almost everything we get in is due to some type of human conflict. Either hit by a car, got by a dog, flew into a window. As we move farther and farther into “critter territory” we will have more and more conflicts with nature, your backyard is that raccoon’s back yard too. Education is our key. We just need to learn to co-exist, not take over but co-exist. If everything in nature has its place and has learned to co-exist except for us, well why? Why do we want to change the behavior of everything in order to get along with it? As Wildlife Rehabilitators we have to be sensitive to that animal or birds needs. This is why if you find wildlife in trouble call your local licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator. They have been trained to help. We can all pitch in with the preservation of our own backyards. And if we are really really lucky, we get to see that critter go back into the wild and live as it was intended. That’s a job well done! And it takes all of us.