Wildlife rehabilitation

Chipmunk.

Wildlife rehabilitation involves acquiring and caring for orphaned, sick and injured wild animals, primarily birds and mammals, for the purpose of releasing such animals back to the wild.

The only legitimate purpose for wildlife rehabilitation is for the release of animals back to the wild. Since most wild birds and many wild mammals are protected by state law, meaning they cannot be possessed without a permit or license, anyone wishing to engage in wildlife rehabilitation in Minnesota must obtain a wildlife rehabilitation permit from the DNR. Rehabilitation of migratory birds requires a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service This link leads to an external site. in addition to the Minnesota DNR permit.

It is strongly recommended that you take introductory wildlife rehabilitation training courses, and get hands-on experience as a volunteer working with practicing rehabilitators before applying for your own permit. Your wildlife rehabilitation training and hands-on experience with animals will insure the welfare of animals in your care.

Permitted wildlife rehabilitators list This is a PDF file. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download it.

Goshawk rehabilitated and released into the wild.

Facts about wildlife rehabilitation

During the past eight years, there have been 60 to 150 wildlife rehabilitators operating under Department of Natural Resources permits. Roughly 60% of permit holders reside in the seven county metro area.

Between 8,000 and 9,000 animals are handled by rehabilitators each year in Minnesota. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Roseville, MN handles an average of 7,300+ animals each year and the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota admits about 650 birds of prey annually, accounting for nearly 70% of all animals.

Rabbit. Nearly 200 different species of animals are rehabilitated in an average year. On the average, one-third of all animals rehabilitated each year are cottontail rabbits, gray and fox squirrels, and raccoons; the remaining two-thirds are mainly small birds.

Of all animals received by individual rehabilitators, about 50% are ultimately released back to the wild, 25% die, 12% are euthanized, and the remainder transferred to other rehabilitation facilities.