Willdlife rehabilitators provide medical care to sick, injured and orphaned wild animals with the goal of releasing them back into the wild. A wildlife rehabilitation centre differs from a sanctuary in that the animals are only in our care temporarily – they are admitted from the wild because they need medical attention, and will be returned to the wild as soon as possible. The education, training, experience, permits and supplies needed to carry out rehabilitation and veterinary medicine for wildlife is vastly different from that needed to provide veterinary care to domestic animals, which is why wild animals cannot be cared for at vet clinics exclusively serving domestic animals.
Nearly all of the animals that come though the doors of wildlife rehabilitation centres have become sick, injured, or orphaned as a result of living in close proximity to people. Increasing development of natural spaces is forcing more animals into urban areas. As they adapt to these spaces, wild animals frequently encounter the dangers of our built environment, and come into conflict with people.
TWC is a licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility operating under permits issued by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Canadian Wildlife Services. There are a number of laws in place that TWC must adhere to that are generally in place to protect the welfare of wild species and prevent the spread of disease. Toronto Wildlife Centre adheres to the Wildlife Rehabilitators Code of Ethics.
Wildlife rehabilitation is an ever evolving field, and TWC works with and networks with other rehabilitators throughout North America. Rehabilitators are constantly finding new and innovative ways of providing care that reflects the unique needs of wild species. Many of the people carrying out wildlife rehabilitation, including TWC’s staff, have backgrounds in wildlife biology, zoology, and other related fields. TWC has veterinarians experienced in wildlife medicine on staff as well.
Understanding the natural history of a species and ensuring that its diet and enclosure reflect its physical and psychological needs is critical to successful rehabilitation. For example, loons must be housed around the clock in an overflow pool, Common Terns must eat live fish, American Woodcocks will only eat live worms they’ve foraged from dirt, etc. Wild animals must be released healthy and strong, with their wild instincts maintained, in order to survive in the wild.
Because the animals in our care are wild, being in captivity is a terrifying experience for them (just imagine how you might respond if you were locked up by a creature 10 times your size while suffering from a broken leg!). TWC staff and volunteers go to great lengths to reduce this kind of stress as it can seriously inhibit recovery, or even be fatal. In addition to meeting their physical needs by providing enclosures that may include hiding spots, or appropriately sized perches, contact with humans, including visual contact, is kept to an absolute minimum.
For this reason, TWC does not function as a sanctuary or zoo, and members of the public are not permitted to have contact with the animals in care. If you are interested in working with wildlife at Toronto Wildlife Centre, please visit the volunteer section of this website.
To learn more about wildlife rehabilitation:
International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council
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