Wildlife Search and Rescue is a comprehensive guide on best practices and suggested standards for response to sick, injured and orphaned wildlife.

Table of Contents

• Foreword Jay Holcomb
• Preface
• 1 Overview of wildlife rescue
• 2 Characterizing wildlife search and rescue
• 3 Laws and regulations governing wildlife rescue in the USA
• 4 Code of practice
• 5 The components of wildlife search and rescue
• Human safety
• The welfare of the animal
• Potential for success
• 6 Anatomy of a response team
• 7 Overview of wildlife capture equipment
• The towel
• Herding boards
• Nets and netting
• Land seine
• Mechanical nets
• Driving, funnel, and walk-in traps
• The dho-gaza
• Drop traps
• Cage traps
• Projectile-powered nets
• Lures
• Catchpole
• 8 Capture, handling, and confinement of wild birds
• Techniques for capturing wild birds
• Anecdote: The rescue of the elusive beer-can-collared-gull
• Special circumstances and particular methods
• Anecdote: Ducklings and the infinity pool
• Anecdote: The story of Pinky the turkey
• Handling and restraint of wild birds
• Processing from nets and housing
• Short-term and temporary housing for wild birds
• 9 Capture, handling, and confinement of land mammals
• Techniques for capturing wild mammals
• Special circumstances and particular methods
• Physical restraint of land mammals
• Processing mammals from nets and cages
• Temporary confinement of land mammals
• 10 Capture and handling of reptiles and amphibians
• 11 Marine mammal rescue
• Rescuing seals and sea lions
• Young seals and sea lions
• Physical restraint of seals and sea lions
• Confinement and transport of pinnipeds
• Cetaceans
• 12 Basic wildlife first aid and stabilization
• Performing a cursory physical examination
• Bleeding
• Dehydration
• Fluid therapy
• Treating hypothermia
• Treating Hyperthermia
• Basic wound care
• Stabilizing fractures
• 13 Transporting wildlife
• 14 Field euthanasia
• 15 Life, liberty, and euthanasia
• 16 Rescuing baby birds and land mammals
• 17 Reuniting, re-nesting, and wild-fostering
• Returning altricial chicks to the wild
• Anecdote: Return of baby barn owls
• Returning precocial chicks to the wild
• Returning baby mammals to the wild
• Nutritional support
• 18 Offering public service
• Public relations and the art of shapeshifting
• Contracting with municipalities
• Appendix 1 Ready packs
• Appendix 2 Wildlife observation form
• Appendix 3 Wildlife trauma equipment and supplies
• Appendix 4 Instructions for tying nooses
• Appendix 5 Barn owl box plans and instructions
• Appendix 6 Sample contract
• Further reading