Husbandry and Veterinary Aspects
Welcome to the Centre's Husbandry & Veterinary Aspects page.
On this page we will endeavor to highlight one of the more trying, and difficult aspects of working with wildlife. There can be a lot of rewards involved in the maintenance and propagation of endangered species. It is through the many successes and difficult situations dealt with over the years that the staff at the Centre has truly come to appreciate the value of the work we are doing. With this page, we would like to try to share with you some of our experiences, our successes, and even some of the losses. We hope that this will serve to deepen your understanding of, and appreciation for the captive propagation of endangered wildlife.
Editorial
At a facility such as the Centre, there is the need not only to carefully watch and record the daily state of all the animals in our care, but there are also numerous details, such as their breeding season statistics, egg weights, and feeding records etc. Anyone involved with the care of wildlife will surely tell you, as we do, that the care of a trained Veterinarian is essential to the health of the animals and their ongoing success. For this reason, the Centre relies upon the expertise and assistance of some of the very fine veterinarians in our area.
The best of care is provided to all the animals at the Centre. Like all living things, the animals do on occasion, become ill or require veterinary care, despite all the meticulous precautions and procedures that we take to insure their health and well being.
The Centre is primarily devoted to fulfilling its role as a Captive Propagation facility, and for this reason we do not take in injured wildlife for rehabilitation directly ourselves. We do however accept in birds and other species that have been injured in the wild and are not releasable. We then pair them and give them useful and reproductive lives. One example, is our pair of Bald Eagles which were injured in the wild and rehabilitated by the Veterinary College at the University of Saskatchewan.
All of our breeding animals are for the majority long term residents, and since there is a substantial disease risk involved when taking in injured animals from the wild, we prefer to focus our attention upon the breeding of the species in our care, rather than to subject them to unnecessary health risks by bringing in animals that have not been previously rehabilitated.
Along the way, there have been situations where expert veterinary care was essential. The amputation of our male Bald Eagle's wing was one such example. Also, during our breeding season there have been a few occasions where an egg has hatched without losing enough moisture, and as a result the yolk sac, a part that provides nourishment to the newborn hatchling did not retract fully into the body cavity. The bird was hatched with this very vulnerable part of its body sticking out of its abdomen. A condition known as an unretracted egg sac.
When this condition occurs, (which luckily is rare) we perform surgery upon the new hatchling, and carefully insert the sac into the body cavity through a small incision and stitch up the abdomen. Of course, we apply antiseptic and monitor the young bird's progress. This has even been done once or twice for young that had the egg sac entirely outside the body, something that is often fatal. Our success rate has been very high, and after a few weeks not even a scar is visible.
However it takes a steady hand and nerves of steel to perform this procedure. It must be done with little more than a mild local anesthetic, and the sac is so vulnerable that it can rupture with the slightest incorrect touch, either necessitating partial removal of this early food source for the bird, (something we prefer to avoid) or causing the death of the hatchling due to hemorrhaging. (something we definitely avoid!)
We have also cured birds of a condition known as 'bumble foot' which is a severe infection in the pads of the talons in raptors, usually caused by a puncture wound and usually thought to be incurable and fatal. Over the course of many years, we have become quite knowledgeable and proficient in veterinary procedures, and often perform minor surgeries ourselves under the care and advice of one of our Vets, or assist the Veterinarian in the procedure.
In our efforts we have innovated along the way, and improved the knowledge available to other facilities. One such example was an innovative observation cave that we designed for our vampire bats, allowing them to be studied without disturbance.
The best of care is provided to all the animals at the Centre. Like all living things, the animals do on occasion, become ill or require veterinary care, despite all the meticulous precautions and procedures that we take to insure their health and well being.
The Centre is primarily devoted to fulfilling its role as a Captive Propagation facility, and for this reason we do not take in injured wildlife for rehabilitation directly ourselves. We do however accept in birds and other species that have been injured in the wild and are not releasable. We then pair them and give them useful and reproductive lives. One example, is our pair of Bald Eagles which were injured in the wild and rehabilitated by the Veterinary College at the University of Saskatchewan.
When this condition occurs, (which luckily is rare) we perform surgery upon the new hatchling, and carefully insert the sac into the body cavity through a small incision and stitch up the abdomen. Of course, we apply antiseptic and monitor the young bird's progress. This has even been done once or twice for young that had the egg sac entirely outside the body, something that is often fatal. Our success rate has been very high, and after a few weeks not even a scar is visible.
However it takes a steady hand and nerves of steel to perform this procedure. It must be done with little more than a mild local anesthetic, and the sac is so vulnerable that it can rupture with the slightest incorrect touch, either necessitating partial removal of this early food source for the bird, (something we prefer to avoid) or causing the death of the hatchling due to hemorrhaging. (something we definitely avoid!)
In our efforts we have innovated along the way, and improved the knowledge available to other facilities. One such example was an innovative observation cave that we designed for our vampire bats, allowing them to be studied without disturbance.
There are some situations that thankfully arise infrequently which involve surgery beyond our acquired skill level. One such relatively recent event occurred with one of our older breeding male Galago Moholi. This also happens to be one situation in which we had the opportunity to take digital photographs of the required procedures.
There are some situations that thankfully arise infrequently which involve surgery beyond our acquired skill level. One such relatively recent event occurred with one of our older breeding male Galago Moholi. This also happens to be one situation in which we had the opportunity to take digital photographs of the required procedures.
Learn about 'Sean'
the male Galago,
his accident,
and his surgery.
WARNING!
These pages contain
graphic surgical images.
the male Galago,
his accident,
and his surgery.
WARNING!
These pages contain
graphic surgical images.
This page is Always under Construction
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