Wildlife Nursing and Management

Course details

A course for people working with wildlife. This course will teach you how to handle and nurse, rehabilitate, provide preventative medicine to and manage native animals.

Course Content

The course will involve learning the skills to personally care for injured and/or orphaned wildlife, as well as large-scale care and recovery programs i.e. whale and penguin rescue. There will be a varied program including guest speakers, debates, an excursion to Healesville Sanctuary, and video presentations.p

Below is a sample outline of sessions. Actual session details will be provided in the first session that students attend.

Week 1:

• Welcome, student introduction
• Lecture: Introduction to concept of wildlife care and management
• Practical session: Debate

Week 2:

• Lecture: Revision of Australian fauna
• Video: ‘The Amazing Marsupial’

Week 3:

• Lecture: Further detail on the care of wildlife
• Video: ‘Raising Archie’ (30 minutes)
• Practical session: preparation for Healesville excursion

Week 4:

• Excursion - Healesville Saturday 23rd August  - own transport to be organised
• (assignment to be completed on the day)

Week 5:

• Lecture: Volunteer research groups; user-pays research groups
• Video: Wader study group (20 mins), Earthwatch expeditions
• Practical session: Discussion of Healesville excursion assignment.

Week 6:

• Lecture: Cetacean & penguin rescue
• Video: ‘The Stranding at Crowdy Head’ (30 minutes),
• ‘Treating oiled birds’ (20 minutes).
• Closing discussion