Module 3 question 1

Develop and / or review the job description of a wildlife caretaker at a wild life center. Consider the different time

What is a wildlife care taker?

é As a wildlife care taker the basic job & also the 1^st priority are making sure that all the animals’ needs are fulfilled. Starting from the basics: Food, water & correct shelter. Then the secondary needs: enrichment exercise, Attention, safety, health & Hygiene. As a care taker this is your most important priority because an animal cannot function not live without these needs.

¶ Food: The correct diet must be given to an animal as close to its natural diet, this ensures the best health possible.

¶ Water: all animals should have a permanent water source in the enclosure; this is THE most important for survival.

¶ Shelter: the type of natural habitat & size of an animal will determine the best enclosure for an animal. It is crucial for an animal to live in the correct enclosure because the stress of having to live in a small or unnatural environment causes stress illness & then death.

§ Enrichment: Any living animal needs to be kept busy to develop the mind & body. As a care taker you have to stimulate the animal by giving it something to do, weather it is Making play toys for big cats or hiding food for a monkey to look for.

§ Exercise: too keep you’re animals healthy & fit you have to exercise them as often as possible. (Train & exercise a lions by dragging a tire behind vehicle, they run & imitate chasing prey in wild).

§ Attention: some social animal’s needs constant attention whether from a human who wants to train it or from another animal, it’s crucial for the well being of the animal & as a care taker you need to spend time with such an animal or make sure it has company with other animals.

§ Safety: The animal has to be physically safe in an enclosure. The structure has to be stable to prevent injury when attempting escape. The animal needs to feel mentally save, the correct hiding places from threats & when it’s a shy animal it needs to have a “safe point”.

§ Health: When some animals come in, they are either sick or injured; a care taker has to have the knowledge of how to treat sick or injured animals.

§ Hygiene: Because captive animals are in a fairly smaller area than in the wild they don’t travel so far as they would in the wild to give the faeces & leftover food (carcasses & plant material) time to degrade into the soil. This attracts parasites & bacteria to their enclosure. A care taker has to keep the animal’s living space clean & hygienic.

Legal aspects

© Before you can start a facility with wild animals like the WLC You need to know the legal aspects to start & maintain such a business. Different ACT’s that needs to be followed & certain permits that you need to have to: Own, Transport, Breed, Sell & buy animals.

Record keeping

¶ Keeping a financial record. (Income & expenses)

¶ Records of animals

¶ Stock records (food, Medical supplies, equipment)

¶ New Animals & deceased animals.

¶ Visitor records.

¶ Filing all evidence.

Reports

µ If any situation changes drastically it has to go on record & be reported either verbally or written.

{ Injury report

{ Deceased /injured & sick animals

{ Released animals

{ New animals

{ New & leafing staff/management.

Maintenance

· To keep a facility presentable, safe & to improve it for both guests & animals maintenance has to me checked & done regularly on:

· Enclosures.

· Guests paths.

· Water, drain & sewerage systems.

· Fences.

Visitors

J In a facility like the WLC were visitors are allowed there has to be tour guides. They must be qualified & trained to do tours & know how to handle people.

J They must know how to handle difficult guests & crisis situations!