Biology: Wildlife Rehabilitation
Humans share this planet with a vast number of other species – wildlife. Many individuals feel a deep sense of responsibility towards these fellow species. Wildlife Rehabilitation offers students the opportunity to become intimately familiar with the care, needs and behavior of wild and domesticated vertebrates. Wildlife rehabilitation is the treatment and temporary care of injured, diseased and displaced indigenous wildlife and the subsequent return of healthy animals to appropriate habitats in the wild.
Program Goals
- To provide students with clinical opportunities to work with animals
- To integrate the experiential, clinical aspect of the program with a rigorous academic program
- To prepare students to work in the wildlife rehabilitation field and related areas of employment.
Clinical Requirements
Wildlife Rehabilitation students must complete an eleven-week (12 credit hour) internship at the Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute (BRWI) located on the campus of Lees-McRae College. Students will work with hundreds of injured and orphaned native wild animals. They will also work with the many permanent non-releasable animals used as partners in education. The presence of the wildlife care center on campus offers students real life work experience in caring for wildlife. Students will learn medical skills needed to assess and treat injured wildlife, along with the natural history of each animal received at the BRWI in order to provide the best care possible. BRWI follows wildlife care standards set by the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association.
Who Majors in Wildlife Rehabilitation
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Concentration is designed for those students with a career interest in providing health care to wildlife or domesticated animals and wildlife education. The program provides a structured internship and clinical opportunity to work with injured and sick animals, as well as providing a strong academic background as a preparation for graduate work and veterinary school. Graduates of this program will be qualified for careers in wildlife rehabilitation, public and private zoos, animal research laboratories, law enforcement, wildlife and related fields.
Students who desire to practice veterinary medicine should follow the Pre-Professional Science curriculum in order to fulfill the requirements for most veterinary schools. Pre-Professional Science students who desire to go to veterinary school are high encouraged to minor in Wildlife Rehabilitation. In addition, the student will need to attend veterinary school and complete a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree before being able to practice veterinary medicine.
Contact Information
Ms. Nina Fischesser
Director, Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute
Phone: 828-898-2568
Email: fischessern@lmc.edu