WildWays Resources

Small insectivorous bats are awfully cute, until you have to manage them as a patient! Then ensuring yours and others safety as you care for this awesome wee one can be challenging. To help reduce the concern, I designed a hospital bed for bats. This unit was actually a joint effort as are all rehabilitators’ innovations! A dear friend of mine, Bruce, had received his wine order; all safely shipped in wooden wine boxes. So, in discussing the issues with him, he came up with the fine tuning of the Bat Hospital Bed idea. Wine box wood, piano hinges and small nails 😊 I hope this helps other facilities increase their bat safety protocols, provide a great place for a bat under medical management and even transition as a roost into a flight facility to help your patient on the road to recovery.

The gut microbiome is now a mainstream topic ranging from publications in the scientific literature, abundant pharmaceutical support options and a multitude of folks wading in on ‘how to fix your gut…’ articles. Wildlife rehabilitator’s have known for yonks’ that our patients’ guts were important and a wonky GI often spelled disaster and death as the outcome. Going back the 90’s, we were addressing this with yoghurt and making more appropriate diet choices. Moving forward 25+ years, and the options available to wildlife professionals is astounding. But there is one thing that also offers a very easy fix – Bone Broth! This age-old remedy for just about anything that ails you did fall out of favor but over recent years, is now back in full force. And yes, it aids in gut health, no question. I had been pondering options for many of the pelagic birds we cared for and knew how often we simply had to turn to pharmaceutical support as coccidia or other nasties took advantage of a damaged immune system. The answer seemed to lie in the options for gut support that would be inexpensive, readily made and actually work! The Bone Broth SOP is here for you to try out in your own practices.

Insectivorous bats frequently don’t think too much of the expensive mealworms you try to feed them. But you can change that by teaching them what a yummy treat is packaged inside! This SOP takes you through the steps needed to assist your bat patient move from reacting as if mealworms are some evil things being inflicted on them by the predator handling them, to discovering that they are actually a delicious package just waiting to be opened! Once they know the delights of the mealworm diet, your job becomes so much easier. This guide shows, step by step, just how to turn a challenging situation into a much more manageable one. Of course, you also have to remember, each bat is an individual and some will take to this new food more quickly than others. But persist! Of course, always check the hydration status of the patient. Dehydration depresses appetite, so having your veterinary team involved is important. Bon Appetit!

Nothing stirs emotions to the presence of a wild neighbor than a raccoon. These awesome, intelligent, and creative mammals, have a huge role in our lives, whether it is trying to defeat their raiding of our garbage bins, setting up house in our buildings, or marveling at mom and babies exploring their world for the first time. Sadly, they are also vulnerable to many viral diseases. This review of the four major ones will help you make better decisions as to their care and the responsibilities we face in responding to a raccoon in trouble.

Rodenticides are a global issue for our wildlife, impacting often through secondary poisoning. Our casualty has eaten a rodent poisoned by eating a rodenticide. Some poisons can be managed rapidly, while others have long term implications, with fatalities being a very common outcome. The resource sheet is designed for New Zealand conditions, however, is a great guide to managing casualties anywhere, where rodenticide poisons are involved. Watch for webinars coming up this year, showing techniques such as PCV and Presumptive Clotting Times that can be a great way to monitor your patient’s recovery and help guide your care.

We are often so busy doing, we forget that we need to think about what it is we are doing, and keeping ourselves current. We also need to ensure that we can walk away and take a break, leaving colleagues to care for our patients because they have a great guide, your comprehensive SOP filed in your Resources Manual. So how do we capture this information and make it realistic and related to your facility and local conditions? The attached handout may give you some ideas on how to begin this process. If you need more help, please contact Lynn at WildWays lynn.miller@wildways.co.nz and explore just how WildWays can bring your knowledge and practices together in one package. Then book that vacation and take a well-earned rest, leaving your wild patients in the care of your team.

This naturally occurring toxin devastates wildlife, especially water birds, globally, when the conditions are right! The Botulism Staging document is designed to ensure appropriate care is given to victims of this toxin. It was designed to cover mallards, but works well for all species. To truly understand the issues and learn about the toxin, a new webinar will be launched in WildWays later in 2024. In the meantime, this document will aid you with the management of any casualties impacted by botulism.