| Unit name | Wildlife Care and Rehabilitation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | VETSM0037 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Ms. Barrows |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Bristol Veterinary School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
The aim of this unit is to provide students with the skills in wild animal handling, husbandry and nursing, to be able to administer first aid to wildlife found injured or otherwise incapacitated and to care for them until release. Topics to be covered will include animal capture and handling techniques, the assessment, emergency stabilisation and transport of injured animals, subsequent treatment (including wound care and administration of medication), husbandry whilst in temporary captivity, hand-rearing of neonates, zoonoses of wildlife, and the release and rehabilitation of wildlife back into the wild, as well as post-release monitoring.
Attention will also focus on the major causes of wildlife casualties, the limitations of non-professional treatment, legal, welfare and ethical issues associated with treating wildlife and methods of emergency euthanasia. By the end of this unit students should have both the theoretical knowledge and practical competency to deal with a wide variety of situations that they might encounter while working as professional Wildlife Biologists or Rehabilitators.
On completing this unit students should be able to:
This unit will be taught using a combination of online materials such as mini-lectures, webinars and case-based resources including video and practical classes based at Langford and Bristol Zoo.
Practical demonstrations by qualified wildlife clinicians will be used to teach applied subjects such as injection techniques, patient assessment including measuring temperature, pulse and respiration, bandaging materials and techniques, assisted feeding, the correction of dehydration, and laboratory skills.
Small group teaching will be used for some clinical topics. A seminar session will allow students to demonstrate their understanding of wildlife management in a real-world incident such as an oil spill.
The students will be provided with e-resources for this unit through the Blackboard online learning environment. These resources will include all the lecture notes and handouts, additional background reading, supporting material and links to subject-related websites.
The students’ performance on this unit will be assessed using:
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. VETSM0037).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
