CONCLUSIONS
Veterinarians play an essential role in the treatment and rehabilitation of wildlife in Australia. They treat thousands of wildlife casualties every year, developing speciesspecific knowledge and skills.
Private veterinarians regularly see wildlife and although an in-depth knowledge of specific injuries and diseases is not essential, there is an obligation and duty of care to relieve pain and suffering. Ultimately, the aim of wildlife triage and treatment is to recognise which animals are likely to survive rehabilitation without suffering and will be fit, healthy and able to survive once released. Those with a poor prognosis, compromised welfare or posing a risk to wild populations once released should be euthanased. On rare occasions where there is benefit in terms of managed care breeding for conservation, education or research, permanent care options for unreleasable individual animals can be considered. It is well recognised that there is little direct conservation benefit to the majority of cases of rehabilitation and release of wildlife; however, providing a precautionary approach is taken, the indirect benefits to conservation efforts are considerable.The level of involvement of private veterinarians in wildlife treatment, particularly in areas without wildlife hospitals, varies enormously, based largely on interest, knowledge and skill. Private veterinarians may be required to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of wildlife patients through a range of procedures, including triage, medical and surgical treatment, necropsies, prerelease checks, education on drug and zoonotic risks and management, as well as participating on wildlife rehabilitation committees and advising state bodies. However, these activities are limited by both resources and knowledge. It must be recognised that those that do treat wildlife mostly do it pro bono.
For veterinarians to contribute to improvements in current rehabilitation practices, clinical record keeping, including admission notes, needs to become systematic and thorough. Current admission records are inconsistent and inaccurate, particularly the reason for admission and the location where the animal was found. There is an urgent need for improvements in data gathering and reporting methods. Data collected through standardised record keeping will facilitate:
• improved rehabilitation methods
• research
• development of new rehabilitation and management strategies
• prioritising species for rehabilitation/release.
There are still large gaps in our knowledge of wildlife rehabilitation and the priorities for improving wildlife rehabilitation practices all involve veterinarians. These include:
1. Further research and investigation into post-release outcomes, including the impact of certain rehabilitation practices on release success. Without greater investment in post-release monitoring, the best treatment and husbandry practices for different species remain unclear.
2. Greater sharing of information among wildlife rehabilitation groups and veterinarians to ensure best practice protocols and to improve animal welfare.
3. Greater awareness by state government departments of the role of private veterinarians in wildlife rehabilitation and of the need for these departments to become more supportive of wildlife rehabilitation regulation and education.
4. Veterinarians taking a more active role in wildlife rehabilitation groups, advising state departments and through public education.