Wildlife - RSPCA

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RSPCA All About Animals - Wildlife

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The RSPCA’s concern about wild animals is based on how they are treated and whether human activity causes unnecessary suffering - rather than how many of a species there are.This means our perspective is animal welfare rather than conservation of endangered species. Welfare and conservation often overlap though. For example, trapping may cause suffering but if it is indiscriminate it could also affect rare species.

Transcript of Wildlife - RSPCA

Page 1: Wildlife - RSPCA

RSPCA

All About Animals-

Wildlife

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Wildlife

The RSPCA’s concern about wild animals is based on how they are treated and whether human activity causes unnecessary suffering - rather than how many of a species there are.

This means our perspective is animal welfare rather than conservation of endangered species. Welfare and conservation often overlap though. For example, trapping may cause suffering but if it is indiscriminate it could also affect rare species.

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What are ‘wild animals’?

Broadly speaking, animals in their natural state that have not been domesticated are considered ‘wild’.

For our purposes, this includes non-domestic animals in captivity, whether kept as pets or for other reasons including entertainment, and those living free in the environment. We cover a huge number of species and individual animals – ranging from badgers in your garden to birds nesting on sea cliffs to pet iguanas and zoo elephants!

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How are we helping wildlife?

As you might expect, it’s a huge challenge totry to improve the welfare of such a large number of animals and species! We work in many different ways to encourage change, using scientific information and practical evidence to support our arguments.

Here’s a little look at some of the work we do:

Raise awareness of wild animal welfare issues and provide information and advice.

Work with, and try to influence, those who make important policy decisions about wild animal welfare.

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How are we helping wildlife?

Rescue and rehabilitate abandoned and injured wild animals at our wildlife centres and conduct research to constantly improve our level of care.

Develop and update detailed RSPCA protocols for the best possible rehabilitation practices of all species cared for.

Teach trainee inspectors wildlife-related aspects of work, including identification, legislation and handling.

Develop free educational resources about wild animal welfare, aiming to help teachers and students examine and debate subjects.

Support research into relevant welfare issues such as the control of moles or deer vehicle collisions.

Work internationally with both governments and non-governmental organisations, such as providing training overseas on the rehabilitation of oiled birds and the identification of freshwater turtles.

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Our work covers many different areas as well as species.

Here are just a few:

Wild animals kept as pets. 

Wild animals used in performance. 

Management and control or culling of wildlife. 

Non-native species and their welfare impacts on native animals, such as grey and red squirrels. 

Rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, and research into post-release survival.

Wildlife trade, for example working with national and global organisations including Wildlife and Countryside Link, SSN and CITES. 

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Wildlife in the water

Commercial fishing

As a welfare organisation, we’re concerned not only by the scale of fish slaughter  - a billion are caught each year off the British coast alone - but also by the way in which they die: crammed in nets, suffocated in the air once landed or even gutted alive. But with regret we acknowledge just how difficult it is to make commercial fishing more humane – harvesting fish on the high seas in wild weather does not allow for the control that can be exercised in, for example, a well-managed farming system.

We do, however, expect commercially farmed fish to be treated with the same degree of compassion as any other sentient farmed animal. To this end, we've developed detailed welfare standards for farmed Atlantic salmon, which are designed to ensure higher standards of animal welfare for all fish kept according to the requirements. 

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Wildlife in the water

By-catch

Aquatic animals can also die as a side effect of intensive fishing. Thousands of porpoises, dolphins and other sea life are caught every year in nets used for fishing, suffering a slow death. To find out more about cetacean (dolphins, porpoises and whales) by catch around the UK, have a look at the by catch indicator in the latest edition of our report called The Welfare State: Measuring Animal Welfare in the UK. 

Persecution

Some aquatic and marine animals, particularly seals and predatory birds like cormorants, are persecuted because fishermen claim they eat too many fish. Where such claims are made, we will always thoroughly examine them. We look for proof of the real extent of damage and that all humane alternatives have been thoroughly considered. 

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Wildlife in the water

Pet trade

We don't believe it’s right to catch wild fish and other sea or freshwater animals for the pet trade. Such animals suffer unacceptably high mortality during capture, transport, sale and when kept in the wrong environment. 

 Pollution

Industrial pollutants poison animals in seas, rivers and lakes and animals are caught in spilt oil that has either been carelessly dumped or accidentally leaked from shipwrecks. Litter such as balloons, which can be mistaken by turtles and seals for jellyfish, can cause significant damage or even death.

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In the wild

Most landscapes or habitats  - even those that seem fairly natural, such as woodlands and seashores - are now dominated by human activity. These activities can cause suffering or affect wild animals in many different ways, either as a direct result or an unintended consequence - or a bit of both. 

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Wild animals in captivity

Wild animals are kept in captivity for a variety of reasons and in a wide range of environments, including in zoos, circuses, other performing environments and in people’s homes as pets.

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Looking after wild animalsTo care for any animal well takes time, money, interest and knowledge - not just to prevent it suffering, but also to make sure it gets everything it needs, which is a legal requirement under the Animal Welfare Act.

Giving animals, especially wild ones, what they need can prove a bit challenging to say the least! It’s important that the needs of the animal are met, so we’ve put together some care information on more commonly kept non-domestic animals in our exotic pets section to try and help. We think that if you can’t meet the needs of an animal then you shouldn’t try and keep it.

In some circumstances, we believe it's best not to keep certain types of wild animal at all because of the conditions they are subjected to, particularly if the animal is only there to entertain. Examples include primates as pets, dolphins in dolphinaria, elephants in zoos and wild animals in circuses.

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Providing a suitable environment

Generally, the bigger the difference between conditions in captivity and in the wild, the greater the risk to animal welfare. The best captive environments will mimic elements of an animal’s natural surroundings.

This isn’t to say the wild is an idyllic place free from all problems – it’s not! But animals have evolved over thousands of years, adapting to live in certain types of natural environment. Placing animals in very different surroundings can cause stress and behaviour problems.  . . . breeding animals for a few generations doesn’t wipe out thousands of years of evolution.  Animals bred and kept in captivity are vulnerable to welfare problems because breeding animals for a few generations doesn’t wipe out thousands of years of evolution.  A tiger born in a circus has essentially the same needs as a tiger born in the wild. 

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What to do with orphaned wild animals

Lots of young animals are handed in to us as orphans, but many of them actually haven’t been abandoned at all! If you’re worried about a baby animal that seems to be alone read our advice below.  If after that you’re sure the animal has been abandoned, either call us on 0300 1234 999 or find your nearest wildlife rehabilitator.

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Wildlife rehabilitation

Wildlife rehabilitation is the treatment of a sick, injured or orphaned wild animal until it is healthy and prepared for a successful life when released back into the wild.

In the UK, there are many wildlife rehabilitators running a variety of facilities. They may care for many different species or specialise in certain ones, such as birds of prey or hedgehogs.

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Wildlife laws

Laws relating to wildlife can be detailed and complicated.

To try and help, we’ve outlined some key points from a number of the wildlife laws in England and Wales.  

We also direct you to the right place for more detailed info – and provide you with contact details in case you are worried that a wild animal is being treated illegally.

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Thank you