From Rehab to Ambassador: Selecting and Working with Wildlife! Lori Bankson Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, Green Bay

Transcription

1 From Rehab to Ambassador: Selecting and Working with Wildlife! Lori Bankson Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, Green Bay

2 What is an Animal Ambassador? A legally kept wild animal Habituated becomes accustomed to humans Conditioned working repeatedly to bring an animal into a desired state or to perform a specific action A proper representative of wild counterparts A proper representative of you, your profession, your practice or facility, and to your mission

3 Some awesome co-workers! (they are totally co-workers!)

4 Before we move further a little Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary built on 80 years of wildlife rehab I ve been involved for 20 year (yikes!) Past 11 years very involved with operant conditioning and working with critters and humans (staff, volunteers, interns) history.

5 Before we move further a little history Ambassadors include: 4 species of songbirds 4 species of waterfowl 10 species of mammals 17 species of b.o.p. 19 species of herps And 1 tarantula and many cockroaches! Approximately 180 captive animals

6 My first.

7 And my worst!

8 Rules is Rules. Know your permits! Work with your DNR and USFWL and USDA! Work with your veterinarian- can you care for it Amputations Minimum standards for caging Eagles and skunks and bats and e/t and so much more Lots of preplanning before actually bringing an animal into your program

9 Finally, the disclaimer. There are many ways up the mountain top! These are just my experiences and my training over the years! Make the journey your own, but make it worthwhile for all involved!

10 Why is it important to consider an Animal Ambassador Telling your story Lasting impression Life long bond Experiences and learning Saving a nonreleasable animal Will help more in the wild

11 Selecting an Ambassador Mission does it represent you? Native versus exotic What message are you sending on program? Do you have the proper staff or volunteers available to care for animal every day? Proper food available? Proper caging?

12 Selecting an Ambassador Can you make a life long commitment or will you be able to find it a home when your work with this animal is completed? How will you use the animal: Entertainment versus Education Show versus program

13 Selecting an Ambassador Where will you use the animal? Offsite? Onsite? Take out of enclosure or use in enclosure? Direct contact? Are there rules in your area? (Appleton versus Green Bay) 1 school versus 10 school districts Churches, assisted living, libraries Events? Programs? Travel? Overnight? How book programs? Last minute? What age of audience will determine training techniques

14 Selecting an Ambassador Man, there are a lot of questions and topics to consider! Who will use the animal and who will train the animal very important! Bonding to 1 person versus a staff training techniques (we ll get to this in a bit) Is there a timeline for the animal to be used? Your social media policy

15 Selecting an Ambassador Make sure your vet is on board! Vaccines Health protocols Bite protocols If gets injured or ill Has experience with this species before the animal is ill

16 Selecting an Ambassador Emotional decisions do what is right for the animal s well being Talk honestly and openly to public, vets, & staff members Try to get as much information as possible before committing It s more than saving a life, it s a life long hire and commitment

17 Selecting an Ambassador Stress and testing! Very important! How reacts to humans we are natural predators Not all rehab candidates make good ambassadors Entering room or cage reaction Are we just a food source? Calm versus hiding Actually exhibiting behaviors you want to capture! step up, posturing, calling

18 Know your Natural History Will your busy program season be during breeding season? Hibernation? Social versus independent animal Protective of den Predator versus prey

19 So you ve decided Species Age Where from What stage at already in training or from the wild? Imprint or parent raised

20 First steps. Has the animal healed? If from another facility what is the history? Review with your vet to see if there are any red flags? Transport to program if necessary Can you maintain the injury or behavior state? Safety, feeding, caging, and training protocols set

21 Does the animal have to come from your facility? Nope! The ambassador can, but you can also look into (depending on license): Contact local rehabbers directly IWRC The Raptor Center AZA list servers Other local captive facilities The exotic trade, black market, illegal methods, breeders When in doubt, check it out! Talk with DNR & Animal Control officers & colleagues!

22 Bringing the Ambassador to his/her new home! Calm let them settle in Find a routine that works for feeding and care transporting to clean cage Get everyone that will be caring for the Ambassador on board consistency is important! Get those protocols in place and use them! Post, , make them easily accessible

23 Today s habits are tomorrow s actions! Talking with animal Positive interactions Handfeeding Equipment It s okay to move slowly and limit interaction as Ambassador settles in and you both get to know eachother!

24 Bonding to 1 person versus a staff training techniques Youngsters at night Weekends/days off When you are not actively working with the animal Handfeeding Consistent information Consistent actions: ex crawling on head/shoulders vs held low First impressions for that critter

25 A tidbit on biting Very serious to have bite protocols in place before something happens How will you use ambassador touching allowed? Rabies vector species and protocols off label, testing, social media Oshkosh nightmare What are your rules in programs? Work with your veterinarian Health records! Accident reports and insurance A good relationship with your county health department and animal control officers go a long way! Be prepared the best way is the safe way because safety is no accident!

26 Let the games begin! Set your end goal Evaluate your animal to see where they are at Develop a plan on how to get there how much training, what steps, who s involved, days off There will be set backs and detours! Flexibility goes a long way

27 Types of Training I recommend: Operant conditioning with positive reinforcement Behavior capture Train as you want don t train one way and expect different results on program Practice in positive environment with desired behaviors and outcomes practice what you want to see I do not recommend negative reinforcement and starvation..

28 Starting out: Mammals & Herps You and the animal have a relationship that you can interact more than just a feeder Start to hold the animal as you would in programs it s okay to use gloves! Talk normally while holding the animal in calm tones Do not feed the animal while in your hands wrong messages Wash your hands before and after smells!

29 Mammals & Herps If you can resist a tight timeline. Walk and talk Introduce small groups Older first, then work younger Keep analyzing the animal watch on programs, notes, daily records Watch for signs of stress what happens when returns to cage, leftovers, unusual behavior, self mutilating, starts hiding Be honest with your team & yourself when getting ready for programs do what s best Avoid the throw in the water and swim method

30 Target Training

31 Elmer the Flying Squirrel Thought was ready He told us no! Almost back there Restrictions on programs no large groups, limited small children Will have gloves or limited handling until older for touching

32 Starting out: Birds Will you jess? Will you free flight or glove train? Will walk around on floor waterfowl How cage How reinforce Repetition and leftover monitoring is important!

33 Scale Cuffs: permanent or traditional Jesses: leather, braided, bullet Creance flying Perches Beak and talon maintenance Hoods Mews/transport Harness for ducks and flying Leash Free fly training Northwoods Falconry or DIY! PPE: eye protection, gloves, jackets/sleeves Equipment

34 Up Downs! Not just for starting, good reinforcement before busy season!

35 Your goals are reached celebrate! Social Media FB, webpage, blog Contact local media Posters! Programs Have an introduction!

36 What if there is a setback Evaluate the situation Fill out necessary paperwork and alert necessary authorities Get together team to evaluate Can take a step back Can make sure trigger doesn t happen again Listen to animal! Learn from others! Safety first for all of you!

37 How long to reach your goal until it is seen as not working out? Never a failure always a chance to learn from Not all animals read the book Change a routine? Different purpose? Safety Roxy:

38 Enforcement Kids reading Volunteers new people to help--- within reason Staff College students Internship success Communicate with staff before, during, and after season How d it go? Reports and documentation track how many programs in a year, how AA does? Seasonal? Weight track? Leftover track? Remember you are co-workers! Work together!

39 Long term issues to be aware of Boredom enrichment is your friend! Becoming too comfortable that you are unaware Health issues Longevity= many other issues Regular health checks Feet! Extreme weather Still need to prep from slow season to busy season Old age.

40 Retirement! Yes, it s a real thing Just tired Stress vs what s best There s no true age watch behavior and eating and do what s best Have a plan for a backup? Life long commitment, don t forget them! Zorro. for critters!

41 Success story-- Larry

42 Success story-- Bobbie

43 Zephyr s Story Injury My 2 ideas Their ideas How he ended up What I learned

44 Great references Don t shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor Raptors in Captivity by Lori Arent AZA listserver Colleagues Beware of YouTube/internet Reach out to other facilities and make connections great community! Veteran trainers help mentor the next generation & share your knowledge! Conferences and Training and workshops

45 But most importantly.

46 Have fun with the wonderful privilege you have working with your wildlife co-worker!

47 They really do leave paw prints and talon marks on your heart!

48 Feel free to contact me anytime with questions or for a copy of this presentation!

49 Thank you for being the change for wildlife and making a difference! Thank you for attending the conference! Go WWRA!