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Animal Orphanage |
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Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park (Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre)
We have rescued everything from 5 cm Sun bird to an overconfident Bonelli's Eagle
that entered a chicken coop and got more than he expected from the residents! This
wild presence gives us a greater sense of where we belong in the larger scheme of
things. For many people it embodies a sense of freedom, a counterbalance to our
busy urban existence. However, finding harmonious coexistence with wildlife is not
always easy. Seabirds eat trash and become ill, marine turtles become entangled
and get trapped in discarded fishing line, and baby squirrels are orphaned by tree-cutting. |
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Goals
Our goal is to rescue these sick, injured or orphaned animals and give them another
chance at life. We provide teams provide rescue services in the field, sometimes
treating wild patients at the scene, but more often transporting them to our onsite
hospital, or other specialized care facilities if required. Once recovered, we return
them to the wild, where we'll place young birds back in nests (or construct a replacement,
if necessary), or simply open the door of a carrier to watch a monkey or deer scamper
off to freedom.
Wildlife can potentially interfere with human activity. Jackals empty trash cans,
deer raid gardens, and birds nest in chimneys. Many people call us for advice on
living with wildlife. You will find many helpful tips for transforming problem animals
into much-appreciated friends, plus profiles of your wild neighbors in our Living
with Wildlife section. Children will also be able to get involved with our education. |
Facility
The rescue and rehabilitation of a single animal in crisis can involve
the coordinated efforts of many individuals from within the community and without.
The process can involve capture, transport to a rehabilitator or veterinarian, examination,
treatment, physical therapy, feeding, cleaning, monitoring, assessing, teaching,
supporting and finally, preparing the animal for release.
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Wildlife rehabilitation begins when a concerned individual stops to help an animal
in distress. An individual may contact or be referred to a wildlife rehabilitator
or rehabilitation center to report the animal's location, but many people provide
both search-and-rescue and ambulance services.
The telephone is our first line of defense. Wildlife information providers advise
and educate concerned, curious and sometimes frustrated members of the public. Their
mission is to keep healthy animals in the wild, to prevent dangerous situations
by providing humane solutions to wildlife-human conflicts, and to ensure that animals
in crisis are rescued and transported to appropriate care.
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Care
At all hours you'll find them, feeding orphans, cleaning cages, giving medications,
changing bandages... in fact,
performing nearly every chore related to caring for captive wildlife. As well as
wildlife care, rehabilitators provide
public education programs that encourage empathy, respect and protection for wildlife
and their habitats. |
Innovation
Specialized training helps many provide their patients with the best possible chance
of survival. Drawing from the best that current science has to offer, we provide
the successful wildlife rehabilitators with the latest research and techniques.
Wild animals can sustain injuries or develop diseases that require a high level
of expertise to treat. The increasing number of veterinarians who specialize in
wildlife medicine develop protocols and procedures that are tailored to the needs
of diverse and unique species.
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While most veterinarians specialize in the care of domestic animals, many welcome
the challenge of caring for
wildlife. Their contributions, often donated, have saved
countless lives.
Wildlife rehabilitation improves only as researchers develop better diets and enrichment
protocols, investigate
minimum standards, design and implement post-release studies,
and share hard-won data in scientific journals,
training manuals, and conference
presentations.
Expertise
Often working behind the scenes, we oversee essential operations. They recruit and
train volunteers, fundraise, manage finances and records, procure supplies, handle
public relations and keep things going. Administrators are the unsung heroes of
the rehabilitation community, ensuring that resources are available and that rehabilitation
centers can continue to provide services.
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Education
Wildlife educators brave the challenge of changing the world. Humans pose the greatest
threat to wildlife, and people act to protect only what they know and love. Educators
foster awareness, understanding, and wonder. They motivate audiences to action:
write to a legislator, change a behavior, volunteer, or donate. Educators, working
at the frontlines to encourage empathy and respect for wildlife, may ultimately
make the biggest difference -- by changing the world, one mind at a time.
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Guests
Donors may be the least visible members of our community, but are the scaffolding
that supports everyone else.
Without their generous contributions of time, supplies
and money, wildlife rehabilitation as we know it would cease
to exist, and each
year, millions of wild animals throughout the word would lose their lives.
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