Code of Practice
Food and water | back
- Food and water
- Objective
- To ensure that sick, injured or orphaned wildlife receive a diet that supports their healthy recovery and development, and their effective rehabilitation and release.
- Standards
- Rehabilitators must be aware of the appropriate food and water requirements for the particular species in the wild and in care. Advice must be sought from a person experienced in rehabilitating a species where a rehabilitator is unfamiliar with its care.
- Food and water of suitable quality and quantity for the species must be provided at an appropriate frequency and must not be accessible to other wild or domestic animals.
- The feeding of live non-native vertebrate animals to an animal under rehabilitation must not occur unless the feeding of live food is essential for the rehabilitated animal’s survival.
- Live protected animals must not be used for the purpose of feeding an animal under rehabilitation. It is permissible to collect a dead least concern animal (e.g. fresh road kill), other than a special native animal (echidna, koala, platypus, wombat), if the dead animal is taken to feed the bird of prey kept under a rehabilitation permit.
- Food quantities must be adjusted to reflect an animal’s stage of development and to maintain a weight that is within an appropriate range. Guidance on this can be obtained from wildlife rehabilitation organisations and facilities.
- Prior to release food must be offered in a way that encourages natural feeding behaviour such as foraging.
- An animal that is unable or unwilling to feed sufficiently (other than nursing young) must be assessed by a veterinarian or a suitably experienced person to diagnose the cause of the inability to feed.
- Prior to undertaking the force feeding of an animal, a rehabilitator must have received training from a suitably experienced person (i.e. experienced wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian) for that particular species.
- Food and water for wildlife must not be allowed to become contaminated by wild or domestic animals.
- Food must be provided in a manner that minimises food contamination and spoilage and the transfer of disease.
- Guidelines
- To the greatest extent possible, captive diets should be similar to the natural diet for the species to minimise diet-related health issues, to teach food recognition for release back into the wild and promote normal digestive function.
- Animals should be weighed at least weekly to determine overall health and to mitigate weight loss through dietary changes.
- Vitamin and mineral deficiency is a disorder associated with prolonged captivity in a wide range of species, and should be anticipated and prevented by provision of a proper diet with vitamin and mineral supplementation. Care should be taken when adding supplements to an animal’s diet as incorrect quantity can also cause dietary problems.
- Whenever practicable, prior to release, animals should have foods included in their diet that would be available to them in the area where they are to be released.
- To avoid contamination and disease transfer, wildlife and human food preparation areas and implements should be kept separate.
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