Course Description

Imagine the moment: a tiny, injured animal in your hands, frightened and vulnerable, unsure of its future. But with your knowledge and compassion, you give it a second chance at life. This is the heart of wildlife rehabilitation—a profession that merges science, skill, and compassion into one life-changing mission. Our Wildlife Rehabilitation Course is your path to becoming not just a caretaker of animals, but a guardian of the wild, someone who makes a real, tangible difference.

This course isn’t just about learning the basics—it’s about transforming your passion into expertise. Whether you’re rescuing a bird entangled in netting, nurturing an orphaned fawn, or rehabilitating a wounded raptor back to health, this course prepares you for every challenge and triumph that comes with caring for injured or abandoned wildlife. You will develop the confidence to act swiftly in rescue situations, the skills to provide medical care, and the knowledge to support recovery until these animals can thrive again in their natural habitats.

But what makes this course truly exceptional isn’t just the depth of information—it’s the connection you’ll build with the wildlife you help. You’ll delve deep into species-specific care, learning the nuances of everything from songbirds and small mammals to reptiles and majestic raptors. Each creature has its own needs, behaviors, and health requirements, and you’ll emerge from this course with a thorough understanding of how to address them all. This is more than a training program—it’s a masterclass in empathy, science, and hands-on care that readies you for the real world of wildlife rehabilitation. With real-life case studies and in-depth discussions on complex topics—like handling nuisance wildlife and making tough decisions around euthanasia—you’ll be prepared for even the most emotionally challenging aspects of the job.

Most importantly, you’ll finish this course with a renewed sense of purpose. You’ll not only know how to rehabilitate animals, but you’ll understand how your work fits into a larger conservation effort, helping preserve biodiversity and protect fragile ecosystems. By the time you complete this course, you’ll be more than ready to step into the field, equipped with both the knowledge and the heart to make a lasting impact.

Now is the time to transform your love for animals into something powerful. Don’t just stand on the sidelines—become the hero wildlife needs. Take this course and start making a difference today.

  • Completely Online
  • Self-Paced
  • Printable Lessons
  • Full HD Video  
  • 6 Months to Complete
  • 24/7 Availability
  • Start Anytime
  • PC & Mac Compatible
  • Android & iOS Friendly
  • Accredited CEUs
Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider
 

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  • Define wildlife rehabilitation as the professional care of injured, sick, or orphaned wild animals for the purpose of safe release back into their natural habitats.
  • Recognize the differences between domesticated, wild, and feral animals and explain how these differences impact their rehabilitation and interaction with humans.
  • Demonstrate the ability to equip oneself with appropriate safety gear and tools for wildlife rescue, ensuring minimal stress and harm to both rescuers and animals.
  • Identify signs that indicate an injured animal requires human intervention, such as profuse bleeding or neurological symptoms.
  • Correctly identify and implement a warming protocol for hypothermia in wildlife, utilizing safe heating sources and minimizing stress.
  • Demonstrate the ability to apply pressure to a wound using sterile gauze to effectively control bleeding in injured wildlife.
  • Describe the necessary dietary and environmental conditions needed for the rehabilitation and release of arboreal animals such as squirrels and certain primates.
  • Demonstrate the ability to identify and classify animal activity patterns as diurnal, nocturnal, or crepuscular based on observable behaviors.
  • Describe the critical housing and environmental conditions necessary for the successful rehabilitation of songbirds from nestling to pre-release stages.
  • Identify the specific nutritional requirements for both songbird and aquatic bird species in rehabilitation and demonstrate how to meet these needs effectively.
  • Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the anatomical adaptations and feeding behaviors of wild cats, canids, and bears in wildlife rehabilitation.
  • Identify appropriate housing and rehabilitation protocols for successfully releasing rehabilitated carnivores, including methods for minimizing human interaction to prevent imprinting.
  • Identify and describe key adaptations in rodents that support their survival across diverse habitats, including dental and dietary features, within a rehabilitation setting.
  • Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
 
 

Assessment Guide

Assessment Points
An Introduction 1 points
Exam 1 11 points
Lesson 1 Review Exam 16 points
Exam 2 12 points
Lesson 2 Review Exam 10 points
Exam 3 10 points
Exam 4 12 points
Exam 5 12 points
Exam 6 12 points
Exam 7 12 points
Exam 8 12 points
Exam 9 11 points
Exam 10 10 points
Exam 11 10 points
Exam 12 12 points
The Final Exam 68 points
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