IMPROVING THE VETERINARY CARE OF BRITISH WILDLIFE
*The information on this webpage is primarily for the benefit of veterinary professionals*
Wildlife rehabilitation centres, which are often charities, provide a vital service caring for wild animals in the UK, but rely upon the skills of veterinary professionals for diagnosing and treating medical conditions. Although many wildlife rehabilitators work very closely with veterinary practices, the standard of care provided can be very variable.
In July 2020 Born Free established a working group to consider the issues relating to the veterinary care of wildlife casualties. The group comprised veterinary professionals (veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses), wildlife rehabilitators, representatives of veterinary organisations, and animal welfare charities.
As a result of the group’s discussions, a series of nine short video recordings have been produced by wildlife rehabilitators and veterinary professionals, aimed primarily at veterinary students, recent graduates, and nurses. These have been distributed to veterinary and veterinary nursing colleges and can also be viewed below.
An ‘information hub’ of relevant British wildlife resources has also been created and will be updated from time to time.
Further work will continue to promote good practice to the veterinary profession, wildlife rehabilitators and the general public.
