March 28, 2001
Wildlife welfare
Rehabilitation group offers caretaker class
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
A fawn is so cute and cuddly and helpless, who wouldn't want to help an injured or abandoned one? How about a crying fox cub or an owl hit by a car?
The urge to help a hurt or helpless animal is overwhelming for many.
But caretakers with the Northern Michigan Wildlife Rehabilitation organization have one message for prospective do-gooders: leave the animal alone and pick up the phone.
While most people have the best of intentions, many helpers may actually do the animal more harm than good. In addition, a police or conservation officer will give a ticket to anyone in possession of a wild animal who is not a licensed caretaker. Instead, call the Northern Michigan Wildlife Rehabilitation organization hot line and get professional advice before doing anything with the animal.
"You have to have training to help wild animals," said Mary Flees, treasurer of Northern Michigan Wildlife Rehabilitation and a volunteer caretaker for 10 years. "If you go ahead and do something on your own you will find out the catastrophe of it."
Flees is one of 35-40 caretakers in the organization who helps care for injured or abandoned wild animals so they can be released back into their natural habitat.
The organization must constantly educate the public that a diet of hot-dogs or milk and a bed in a garage with lots of petting and attention does not help the animal, she noted. In fact, that kind of help is almost a sure way to doom the animal, whether through inadequate nutrition or too much taming so it can no longer fend for itself in the wild.
"Wild must remain wild," said April Parsons, president of the Northern Michigan Wildlife Rehabilitation. "You need special caging, training and time for the animals."
"People still want animals kept as a pet but wild animals will always be wild; they will eventually bite the hand that feeds them."
Parsons strongly emphasized this point to more than 30 people attending the organization's annual training session Saturday at the Waterfront Conference Center. Each spring, Northern Michigan Wildlife Rehabilitation holds a training session to increase its roster of caretakers and rescuers. They have the class in the early spring, just before the busiest season when bird and animal babies are most likely to need assistance.
"Many come to us from car accidents, occasionally younger birds from a tree that was felled," said Parsons, who has been involved in wildlife rehabilitation for 15 years and has completed additional training and testing for a federal permit to help raptors.
In addition to teaching the organization's philosophy, the training session also discussed caging requirements, nutrition, involving children in caretaking and releasing the animal back into the wild.
The attendees at the session came because they are animal lovers and concerned about animal welfare. Being a trained caretaker or rescuer is a way to contribute to wildlife, said Mary Peek of Buckley.
"I live in the country and see a lot of wildlife and have domestic animals," she said. "I kind of like the fawn aspect, but I want to help anything that needs help."
Other attendees had previous experience with rehabilitating animals and wanted to get back into it.
"I used to rehabilitate hoofed animals with an organization in Illinois," said April Carroll of Suttons Bay. "I feel a responsibility to do something, I can't just sit back and be helpless when an animal is hurting. You have to have something more to offer."
To report an injured or abandoned animal, call the Northern Michigan Wildlife Rehabilitation hot line at 946-4401. Volunteers monitor the answering machine from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.