A five-year retrospective study on patterns of casuistry and insights on the current status of wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centers in Chile

Francisca Romero,Constanza Napolitano,Angelo Espinoza,Nicole Sallaberry-Pincheira

doi:10.1186/s40693-019-0086-0

Abstract

BackgroundHuman activities are permanently threatening wildlife. Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centers (WRRC) have served for the rescue, rehabilitation and reinsertion of affected and recovered animals.MethodsWe reviewed the casuistry of five wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centers in Chile over 5 years, and described the main causes of admission, most affected taxonomic groups and final outcomes of the admitted individuals, shedding light into general patterns and relevant factors currently affecting wildlife in Chile. To understand the current work and status of WRRC system in Chile, we also conducted a qualitative survey to WRRC personnel and Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) regional offices regarding their operation.ResultsA total of 3418 cases of animals admitted to WRRC were obtained; 95.3% corresponded to native species. Of native animal cases, 86.0% corresponded to birds, 12.3% were mammals and 1.7% reptiles. Trauma was the most frequently observed cause of admission in all three native fauna groups (35.8% in birds, 23.2% in mammals, 27.8% in reptiles).ConclusionsWRRC are a tool for conservation and education of wild animal species in Chile, however WRRC and SAG regional office personnel highlighted several deficiencies in the current system and suggested opportunities for improvement. The current WRRC system needs modernization and financial support from the Chilean state to fulfil their relevant mission.

Highlights

The information was sorted and classified in a unified database, including variables such as: (i) common and scientific names; (ii) type of species, (iii) taxonomic group, (iv) conservation status, (v) type of donor, responsible for taking the animals to rehabilitation centers; (vi) sex and age group, homologized to different categories of infant development based on international standards [10]; (vii) cause of admission to centers; to unify criteria these were classified as proposed by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council [11]; (viii) cause of egress/ outcome
A total of 3418 cases of animals admitted to five Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centers (WRRC) were obtained (Table 1). 95.3% corresponded to native species (3256 cases, Additional file 1: Table S1), 1.9% to alien species, 2.1% were exotic pets and 0.7% non-identified species
(See figure on previous page.) Fig. 1 Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centers included in this study (Chile)

Summary

Introduction

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centers (WRRC) have served for the rescue, rehabilitation and reinsertion of affected and recovered animals Human activities such as habitat loss and fragmentation, overexploitation of natural resources, expansion of human settlements, invasion of exotic species, among others, are permanently threatening wildlife. These activities cause road accidents, poisonings, burns, electric shocks, orphanage, hunting accidents, shooting practices or military maneuvers [1], interactions between carnivores and humans, Wildlife rehabilitation is defined as the temporary care of injured, diseased, and displaced indigenous animals and the subsequent release of healthy animals to appropriate habitats in the wild [5].

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