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Wildlife rehabilitation: additional considerations for developing countries
... Wildlife rehabilitation involves treating injured, sick, or orphaned animals with the goal of releasing them back into their natural habitat (83), mainly guided by the welfare of individual animals (84,85). ...
... Aligning rehabilitation practices with established principles in conservation biology enhances efficiency and focus, optimizing the utilization of available resources for maximum impact on the overall conservation of wildlife populations (83,86,88). Rehabilitation efforts are increasing, and contributing to the stability and growth of wildlife populations (85,89), particularly if individuals can enter or re-enter the breeding population (90). When taking into consideration cultural and economic factors at local and regional levels, the rehabilitation process contributes to increasing awareness of animal welfare issues and plays a vital role in community-based conservation efforts (90). ...
... This can be important especially within small, threatened populations, characterized by limited contemporary breeding numbers and reduced genetic variability (90). It is necessary to evaluate the success and effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in order to enhance the long-term well-being of rescued animals and justify the financial investment in these programs (85,90). There is limited data available regarding the success rates of sea turtle rehabilitation (87). ...
The loggerhead and green sea turtles complete their life cycles in the Mediterranean. They exhibit resource-driven long-distance migrations between habitats used for development, feeding and breeding. Sea turtles' traits, such as longevity and extensive migrations, along with their presence in diverse habitats, make them vulnerable to anthropogenic threats that have led to severe population declines. Given their endangered status, understanding sea turtles' habitat use, movement, and behavior is crucial for conservation efforts. Rehabilitating injured individuals is one vital approach, essential for maintaining breeding numbers and genetic diversity in small, threatened populations. This research aims to examine the post-rehabilitated turtles' readaptation to the wild and use suitable data to quantify behaviours and the spatiotemporal use of the eastern Mediterranean. Specifically, it seeks to enhance understanding of their behavior during winter months and within Israel's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), deriving conservation recommendations.
Injury parameters of six main categories treated at Israel's Sea Turtle Rescue Center (ISTRC) were analyzed: carapace fracture, drowning, fishing gear entanglement, head trauma, hook injury, and soft tissue trauma. An injury index was developed to assess turtles' condition upon arrival and disability upon release, comparing these parameters with post-release behavior to identify factors leading to permanent disability. 98 sea turtles, rehabilitated and nesting, were tagged with satellite transmitters, resulting in 24,900 tracking days, covering a total distance of 316,515 km. The data of their routes and behaviour were used to compare individuals grouped by species, sex, life stage and injury category. Routes were categorized into residency and migration periods, with migration patterns classified as either direct or wandering. The characteristics of each period type – home range or straightness index, speed, continental shelf use, submergence behaviour, survival rates and hotspot analysis – were assessed for each grouping and seasonally. A novel approach was developed for analyzing submergence behavior.
The results of this study reveal alarming annual mortality rates: 38% for green turtles and 21.8% for loggerheads with 29% mortality for females of both species. The Bardawil Lake was found to be a crucial hotspot for sea turtles, but it presents significant risks and necessitates urgent protective measures. In the ISTRC, green sea turtles treated for the same injuries were found to be smaller compared to loggerheads, suggesting that injury-prone areas mainly host relatively younger green turtles. Turtles treated for half of the injury groups – entanglement in fishing gear, hook injuries and soft tissue trauma – had significant chances to recover to the point of release (79%, 82%, and 87% respectively).
I found that rehabilitation efforts can successfully reintegrate turtles from all injury categories, except for head trauma, back to the wild population, exhibiting normal behavior and even resulting in breeding events. Additionally, amputated individuals showed normal movement. This underscores the crucial role of rescue centers. The methods developed in this study, including the injury index, period classification and the analysis of submergence behavior, demonstrate high effectiveness and can serve as valuable tools for researchers and conservationists. After using these methods to identify and exclude outliers, the analysis revealed seasonal differences in submergence behavior, with increased air exposure in summer (daily average 5.85%) and decrease in winter (daily average 3.72%) suggesting correlating seasonal variations in metabolism. This research's findings also point out high plasticity and variation in speed, distances, and home ranges within groups. Nesting females migrated after nesting along Israeli beaches either to North Africa or within the Levant basin, at distances of two different orders of magnitude (19-327 km for the shorter range; 878-2215 km for the longer range), whereas rehabilitated turtles remained only within the Levant basin. Israel's beaches and waters are vital habitats for both groups, throughout their life cycles. Numerous individuals, including a post-nesting female, a quarter of the rehabilitated females (n=12) and more than half of the adult males (n=9) did not exhibit clear migration patterns during their entire transmission periods. All males in the study that performed migrations (n=8), did so only within the short distance range. These are unique patterns, unusual for these typically migratory species both in the high-risk Mediterranean region and globally.
As highlighted in this research and despite the improving trend in Mediterranean nest count and sea turtles' IUCN status, these populations remain threatened and conservation–dependent, requiring ongoing and enhanced efforts to ensure their growth.
... Wild animals are brought to wildlife rehabilitation centers in growing numbers due to concern for the well being of individual animals (Karesh 1995) with more than 440,000 wildlife cases handled each year by members of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association in addition to nearly one million telephone calls (Horton 1987). The objectives of wildlife rehabilitation include the rearing of young wild animals and the treatment of injured wildlife (Ludwig and Mikolajczak 1985). ...
... The objectives of wildlife rehabilitation include the rearing of young wild animals and the treatment of injured wildlife (Ludwig and Mikolajczak 1985). Many wildlife rehabilitation programs also provide training in the handling and care of injured wildlife to individuals, which can assist the training of those working with threatened or endangered species or provide educational programs to the public (Karesh 1995). Wildlife rehabilitators cite the release of wildlife back into the wild as their main goal (Marion 1989). ...
... The rehabilitation and release of a relatively small number of individuals of a species may have little or no beneficial impact on a population. On the other hand, some people claim it could be detrimental, in instances such as disease transmission (Karesh 1995). Fraser and Moss (1985) give three conditions by which rehabilitation could substantially alter the dynamics of a population: "the number of animals released must be a large fraction of the total population; the increased survival rate of treated animals must not be offset by increased mortality among the untreated part of the population; and any change in mortality rate caused by rehabilitation must not result in changes in natality, immigration, or emigration rates that compensate for the survival of rehabilitated animals." ...
Post–release studies of post–release behavior and survival are crucial to evaluate wildlife rehabilitation efficacy. Although large numbers of animals are admitted for rehabilitation across the country, few post–release survival studies have been conducted. Post–release studies are the only way to ascertain an individual’s survival and a key variable in addressing the value of rehabilitation to wildlife populations. The goal of this study was to measure wildlife rehabilitation efficacy. One hypothesis is that capturing and handling stress negatively affects the survival of adult rehabilitated Brazilian free–tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis cynocephala). The second hypothesis is that injury negatively affects the survival of adult rehabilitated Brazilian free–tailed bats. In order to quantify the effects of capture, handling, and injury in rehabilitated bats the influences on survival, survival rates in three groups of bats were compared. Group one consisted of wild, healthy minimally handled bats; group two consisted of bats captive held and handled; and group three consisted of rehabilitated bats. High transmitter loss, due to a number of factors, resulted in a small sample size. The results suggest that wildlife rehabilitation may in fact assist in the recovery, release, and survival of individual injured wildlife. There continues to be a need for carefully designed post–release studies with explicit objectives, especially for reintroductions of endangered species and/or captive bred animals.
... It is important to consider the vast differences in both supply chain structures and management systems (Aghwan and Regenstein, 2019;Gonzalez et al., 2022), but also perceptions about animal welfare across different areas of the world (Toma et al., 2012;Alonso et al., 2020;Abdulhaleem, 2022), specifically between developed and developing nations. Perceptions about animal welfare are impacted by cultural, socioeconomic, and religious factors and thus differences in animal care practices are likely to be observed between different countries (Karesh, 1995;Agoramoorthy and Hsu, 2012;Abdulhaleem, 2022). Developed nations often have the capacity to invest resources in more progressive animal welfare efforts while developing countries may be faced with challenges that supersede animal care concerns, such as political instability, food insecurity, and human health and well-being (Karesh, 1995). ...
... Perceptions about animal welfare are impacted by cultural, socioeconomic, and religious factors and thus differences in animal care practices are likely to be observed between different countries (Karesh, 1995;Agoramoorthy and Hsu, 2012;Abdulhaleem, 2022). Developed nations often have the capacity to invest resources in more progressive animal welfare efforts while developing countries may be faced with challenges that supersede animal care concerns, such as political instability, food insecurity, and human health and well-being (Karesh, 1995). However, public concern for higher standards of animal welfare is increasing throughout the world, even in developing countries (Harper and Henson, 2001). ...
Introduction
The impact of pre-slaughter management practices on fed beef cattle welfare is a multifaceted and well researched subject matter. Factors such as transportation, handling, lairage time and several animal characteristics can directly impact the cattle’s behavior, mobility, blood lactate and cortisol levels, likelihood of injury and ultimately overall cattle welfare. Animal welfare continues to grow as a critical component of slaughter in the fed beef industry, yet a formal review of related research does not exist.
Methods
A scoping review was performed in order to (1) catalog pre-slaughter management factors that impact fed beef cattle welfare at the time of slaughter, (2) identify indicators used to evaluate the impact of pre-slaughter management on fed beef cattle welfare at slaughter, and (3) gain further understanding of the relationship between pre-slaughter management factors and fed beef cattle welfare outcome indicators at slaughter. Three data bases were ultimately searched: PubMed, CAB Abstracts, and Web of Science. The concepts used in the database searches were the population of interest (i.e., fed beef cattle), the location in the supply chain, preslaughter management factors, and welfare outcomes.
Results
A total of 69 studies were included in final analysis for this review, including studies from six geographic regions around the globe. Studies involving alternative slaughter methods (e.g., religious stunning or mobile slaughter) were not included in the formal analysis of this review, but still merited an in-depth discussion within this paper. After reviewing the studies, a total of 37 pre-slaughter factors and 69 indicators of welfare were measured throughout. Pre-slaughter management factors were then categorized by: animal characteristics; environmental characteristics; handling; lairage; transportation; and water/feed. Outcomeindicators of welfare were categorized into: behaviors; health, injury and disease; physiological; and stunning and insensibility.
Discussion
Pre-slaughter factors relating to transportation and handling, and welfare outcomes measured by behaviors and physiology were of the most researched throughout the studies.The results of this review offer a catalogue of commonly researched factors and indicators of welfare measured during the pre-slaughter phase, as well ast he relationships between them. This review also offers further substantial evidence that a multitude of events in the pre-slaughter phase affect fed beef cattle welfare and a collection of highly applicable welfare indicators to expedite further research on the effects of pre-slaughter factors and the application of improved practices.
... Wildlife Rehabilitation in the world According to Dubois (2003), Wildlife rehabilitation is an emerging profession with collaborations from other disciplines such as veterinary medicine, natural history, animal behaviour and environmental and animal ethics with public service and education. It is well known that wildlife rehabilitation is in practice across the globe but its mode of operations varies among regions (Karesh, 1995;Bouchon-Small, 2015). Developing countries face more challenges by rehabilitators than the wealthier regions (Bouchon-Small, 2015). ...
Wildlife rehabilitation is the treatment and temporary care of injured, diseased, and displaced indigenous animals, and their subsequent release after recuperation to appropriate habitats in the wild. The high rate of exploitation and gross misuse of natural resources have led to large scale reduction in the number of wildlife species. Unfortunately, wildlife rehabilitation centres are not adequately available to cater for the needs of sick, diseased, injured or orphaned wildlife in Nigeria. This review assesses the prospects and challenges of wildlife rehabilitation. It also seeks to advocate the need for more wildlife rehabilitation centres in Nigeria. Direct conservation impact, educational, captive wildlife programs, scientific research and epidemiological impacts are benefits of wildlife rehabilitation to conservation. Insufficient fund, inadequate skilled personnel, poor welfare and health standard of the staff are some of the most pressing challenges faced in wildlife rehabilitation centres especially
... Both cases contribute to the conservation of species at the individual level and the implementation of roadkill mitigation measures, supporting conservation at the population level. However, according to Karesh (1995), conservation programs in general face several obstacles to their implementation, with some of these problems being accentuated in developing countries, where a series of difficulties exist, such as differences in political priorities in developed countries and cultural attitudes with different values towards animals and between species, among others. Nevertheless, when well implemented, rehabilitation programs have positive outcomes, as shown in multiple studies around the world. ...
Highways are one of the anthropogenic factors that have the greatest impact on terrestrial biodiversity. Barriers, depletion effects, and roads are the most common locations of wild animal roadkill, leading to biodiversity loss in wild vertebrates. However, the corpses of these animals can be used as opportunistic samples, an excellent source of information on topics such as population dynamics, which is one of the aims of road ecology. Nonetheless, there are only a few studies on injuries in roadkilled wild animals. Between 2018 and 2021, road monitoring was performed around three Federal Conservation Units in Brazil. Twenty-four animals, including birds, reptiles, and mammals, were collected. This study aims to characterize the lesions in wild animals that were roadkilled on roads in the Brazilian semi-arid region using necropsy and quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Also, the bone mineral density was measured using QCT and compared with the number of lesions and body condition score. Four types of bone lesions were found in 13 different bones, with an average of 3.25 lesions per bird and 3.75 lesions per reptile and mammal, with no statistical difference between the means (p > 0.05). Providing a database on the main injuries found in wild animals that are frequently roadkilled serves as an aid to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation professionals who contribute to the conservation of species. In addition, the data on road ecology serves as a basis for the implementation of mitigation measures against wildlife roadkills, also contributing to the conservation of species.
... Si bien, los datos que tienen los centros de rehabilitación son de utilidad, estos son subutilizados (Crespo-Martínez y col., 2014; Molina-López y col., 2017; Pyke y Szabo, 2018; Kwok y col., 2021). Son pocos los estudios que evalúan la información sobre los esfuerzos de rehabilitación o liberación (Karesh, 1995;Aprile y Bertonatti, 1996;Drews, 1999), a pesar de que estas investigaciones son esenciales como indicador de las prácticas llevadas a cabo dentro de los centros y que aportan al desarrollo de conocimiento e investigación sobre el estado y conservación de la fauna (Drews, 1999;Molina-López y col., 2017;Pyke y Szabo, 2018;Hanson y col., 2021;Kwok y col., 2021;Godoy-Steindl y col., 2023). ...
En México, los Centros para la Conservación e Investigación de la Vida Silvestre (CIVS) reciben, rehabilitan y reintroducen a la naturaleza fauna silvestre rescatada, asegurada y decomisada por las instituciones gubernamentales. Pero, existen pocos estudios que evalúen su funcionamiento y eficiencia. El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo comparar los ingresos y egresos de la fauna silvestre, así como la capacidad de presupuesto y personal de los CIVS de México durante el periodo 2005-2020. El estudio abarcó la información proporciona-da por 4 centros y se analizaron los datos de 36 526 ejemplares ingresados y 35 029 egresados. El ingreso a los CIVS se dio en su mayoría por aseguramientos y decomisos, y el principal motivo de egreso por canalizaciones a otros lugares. Los reptiles (n = 24 707) y las aves (n = 6 828) fueron los grupos taxonómicos más recibidos. La tasa de mortalidad de la fauna que ingresó (41.5 %) superó a la de liberación de ejemplares en la naturaleza (11.5 %), con los reptiles como grupo taxonómico con el mayor número de muertes (n = 8 011). El trabajo que desarrollan los CIVS permanece como de gran relevancia para el manejo primario de la fauna que se recupera por diferentes acciones, pero cuentan con poco personal capacitado y cada vez menos presupuesto para atender los ingresos de fauna que va en aumento.
... The origins of rescued primates, and the course of their rehabilitation and reintroduction, often involve uncontrollable variables which may impact the success of primate conservation goals (Karesh, 1995;Junker et al., 2017). Like all conservation actions, which do not occur in an experimental or sociocultural vacuum, these processes are subject to trade-offs and hard choices (McShane et al., 2011;Lazos-Chavero et al., 2016). ...
The rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction of nonhuman primates (henceforth, primates) from captive and wild settings are three sequential strategies which improve species conservation and individual welfare. Rescue refers to the removal of individuals from situations of cruelty, danger, illness, or risk which harm their well-being. Upon rescue, individuals requiring ongoing veterinary care and/or supervision undergo rehabilitation. This process differs depending on the needs of the individual primate; while those rescued from both wild and captive circumstances may undergo rehabilitation, only the former group is typically candidate for reintroduction. Reintroduction refers to the release of rehabilitated individuals into spaces where they historically ranged, with the goal of improving species conservation. In practice, however, reintroduction often occurs in the interest of improving primate welfare, which can complicate conservation objectives. This chapter reviews the literature from the past couple of decades on primate rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction – emphasizing the call for continuing to develop multidisciplinary, ethical, and evidence-based “best practices.”
... The origins of rescued primates, and the course of their rehabilitation and reintroduction, often involve uncontrollable variables which may impact the success of primate conservation goals (Karesh, 1995;Junker et al., 2017). Like all conservation actions, which do not occur in an experimental or sociocultural vacuum, these processes are subject to trade-offs and hard choices (McShane et al., 2011;Lazos-Chavero et al., 2016). ...
Across the globe and across time, primates have been used in live performances and depicted through imagery to entertain audiences and tell stories. Technological advances have led to a proliferation of ways in which we consume media and with that, audiences for primates in entertainment have flourished. Here we review some of the ways primates are used as entertainers and examine representations of primates in contemporary media. We provide an overview of the role of primates in the entertainment industry and discuss issues of animal welfare and conservation. An understanding of the history primates in media and entertainment is critical to regulating these practices and ensuring the health and welfare of both humans and animals.
... The origins of rescued primates, and the course of their rehabilitation and reintroduction, often involve uncontrollable variables which may impact the success of primate conservation goals (Karesh, 1995;Junker et al., 2017). Like all conservation actions, which do not occur in an experimental or sociocultural vacuum, these processes are subject to trade-offs and hard choices (McShane et al., 2011;Lazos-Chavero et al., 2016). ...
Pet primates are those kept typically for companionship, enjoyment, and status, although their uses as pets may extend beyond these parameters. The trade in pet primates is historically rooted, with many primates playing important roles in human cultures and religions. Thus, it is not surprising that current sociocultural trends reveal an ongoing fascination with primates and their purchase as status pets. Recent reports from various regions are presented in this chapter, demonstrating the need for drastic interventions to avoid further losses. Capture of animals for the pet trade may be intentional or opportunistic and is often exacerbated by internet trade and social media. This situation is complicated by the difficulty of obtaining accurate numbers of primates bought and sold illegally. The health and welfare of primates captured or kept as pets is another area of great concern. Long-term solutions will require attention from governmental, professional, and public actors on local and international levels.
... orphaned, trauma by run over) rather than being diagnostically orientated; 7) different volunteers recording data into the database is a higher possibility of recording errors [8] . However, this limitation can be eliminated or reduced by standardization of record keeping, health screening (e.g., ancillary diagnostic tests, regular postmortem examination), and the use of common codes and categories in all WRC [8,27] . ...
Wildlife rehabilitation centres have an important role in the conservation and rehabilitation of species. Regardless of the large numbers of wildlife casualties rehabilitated every year all around the world, there are few published data detailing species, numbers treated, quality of care provided and outcome following release. Wildlife can act as sentinels of ecosystem health, and the data collected can provide important information not only regarding the diseases in their populations but also in Humans. This article reviews the importance of wildlife rehabilitation and its role in wildlife conservation and offers recommendations on future policy.
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