Wildlife rescue (and wildlife rehabilitation) is a relatively new profession, but it's on the rise. There are, like, fifteen different shows about it on Animal Planet. From Wildlife SOS to Animal Rescue to Outback Wildlife Rescue to Wildlife Outback SOS Animal Style, it seems everybody wants to rescue wildlife. It's mostly because they're compassionate, hard-working, animal lovers who want to help out,..but there's probably a little part of them that just wants to yell, "Crikey!" and wrestle a crocodile.

Sorry to disappoint, but crocodile wrestling isn't an everyday thing for a wildlife rescuer. They're usually called in to help birds, reptiles, and small mammals that are sick or injured. When a good citizen finds an animal in trouble, they call wildlife rescue, which then sends its team out to...well, rescue the wildlife.

 

When cows get stuck in a flood, it's wildlife rescuers to the, er, rescue. (Source)

Before you dive too deep into glorious fantasies of somersaulting through the everglades, consider yourself warned: Most wildlife rescuers work as volunteers, and those who get paid don't make a ton of money. The average salary is $20,000 (source). This isn't the career to pursue if you're looking to retire early in Boca.

Wildlife rescuers can work with shelters or as independent rescuers. They set trapped animals free, tend to injured wildlife, and they're also deployed during emergencies like oil spills, which can affect whole animal populations.

A wildlife rescuer will give an animal on-the-spot treatment, which includes sedation and tending to minor medical problems (get ready to get your suture on). They then either immediately release the animal or take it to a shelter, depending on how the critter's doing. Sadly, sometimes an animal is past the point of being saved. In these cases, wildlife rescuers provide humane euthanasia.

At the shelter, rescuers provide food, care, and rehabilitation, usually with the goal of eventually releasing the animals back to the wild. Animals that are unable to return to the wild can also be released to a wildlife reserve instead, where they can spend their years enjoying free food and the occasional unwelcome visit from tour groups.

Do I Have to be Some Kind of Doggy Doogie Howser?

Not really. Wildlife rescuers aren't veterinarians, so they don't have to have a full background in veterinary medicine, though a lot of vets do perform wildlife rescue, and wildlife rescuers often work directly with vets. But just because wildlife rescuers don't wear white lab coats doesn't mean just anyone can charge bravely out into the wild to go cage a mountain lion. If your only knowledge of woodland wildlife comes from Bambi, you'll need to do some studying.

 

Make sure to plaster your wall with pictures of cuties like this one for inspiration. (Source)

To become a wildlife rescuer, you'll have to pass a national certification exam, receive training, and fulfill state-specific requirements (source). Once you wade through this jungle of animal behavior, emergency medical procedures, and proper animal handling, you're legally allowed to rescue wildlife. So congratulations.

Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll immediately find a job. As documented by the Internet's abiding obsession with cats, a lot of people like animals. So there's a large supply of interested applicants and there aren't all that many positions.

This may come as a shock, but shelters and reserves aren't exactly rolling in money. They tend to rely heavily on volunteer labor. A lot of wildlife rescuers have full-time jobs in some other field and use their days off and weekends to rescue wildlife. Paid wildlife rescuer jobs do exist, but to get one you'll have to put in volunteer time and get a bachelor's degree in a relevant field like biology, ecology, or zoology. Sorry, classical trombone majors.

 

Volunteers may not earn a salary, but at least they get their own shirts. (Source)

I Don't Care About Cash, So Tell Me More

Well, it's a demanding job. Animal rescuers operate year round, saving critters in all weather conditions. When they bring animals into a shelter, they're responsible for feeding them, providing medicine and treatment, and cleaning their habitats. This involves a lot of scratching, biting, and pooping, because—prepare to be astounded—wild animals don't like to be handled by humans. They're not pets, so humans scare them, and they lash out accordingly. You're going to have to develop some very tough skin, both literally and metaphorically.

As for the literal part, prepare to lose many outer layers of your epidermis. This is a majorly good argument for being up to date on your rabies vaccination. In fact, get up to date on all your vaccinations. You would not believe how many diseases animals can transmit to humans (source).

Metaphorically, you'll need thick skin because being a wildlife rescuer can be emotionally draining. You're not always going to be able to save the animals, and sometimes you're going to have to make the hard choice to put an animal out of its pain. Since most people get into this field because they love animals, this can be really tough to do.

So Why Do It?

Because you're being offered the opportunity to save lives and make a difference. You'll work irregular hours and in tough conditions, but at the end of the day, you'll be able to help a turtle, hawk, or hare get back on its feet and back to its life. You're saving living things that can't save themselves, and in this way, you're making the world a slightly better place.

That's worth a couple of bites and bruises. Right?

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