Malibu training a great success!

Our Wildlife Search & Rescue training in Malibu was a tremendous success. We suspect we'll get a few new volunteers from it, helping us achieve our goal of organizing three separate rescue and transport teams - one for the Westside, another for Ventura and the Conejo Valley and another for the San Fernando Valley. 


We were very honored to have members of the Los Angeles Small Animal Rescue Team and LA SPCA DART in attendance. 


We'll be back in Los Angeles offering more trainings the first week of April. For those interested, email us.


Here's the LINK to the LA Times article on the class. Great writeup.

Also, check out this link to SmART's video of the class!

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National Association for Wildlife Search and Rescue

Like the Minimum Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation, we hope to develop standards for RESCUE that will eventually be used to govern how wildlife casualties are handled. 


The lack of standards today may very well be the greatest, most overlooked cause of death among wildlife casualties - precisely what this new organization intends to address and remedy. We're VERY excited about this newly formed organization and the possibilities it affords.

Right now, we're in the process of selecting a Board of Directors and a strong estimable Advisory Panel. Our web site is also under development. For now, please join us on  Facebook.

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24-HAZWOPER Training

Great news! We will be providing a 3-day 24-hour HAZWOPER certification training course in Oakland, March 7-9. 


Only a few seats left!

While taking this course and becoming certified will not guarantee you will be called upon to help during an oil spill, it IS the training that IS REQUIRED of those who respond. 

Contact us to register NOW!

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2011 Wildlife Search & Rescue Training

The greatest dilemma faced by injured wild animals and the people who find them is the lack of quick response from wildlife experts. This is also perhaps the most overlooked cause of death among 'found' disable animals - something WildRescue and its directors aim to remedy.

In an effort to increase the number of trained wildlife rescuers, we are currently providing our new Wildlife Search & Rescue trainings from San Francisco to Los Angeles. 

From these classes we hope to build teams of rescuers that can respond locally, in their communities. These trainings are also being provided to animal control officers, police, game wardens, and wildlife rehabilitators to increase their knowledge and skills. The all-day class provided information on human safety, capture equipment, proper techniques and successful capture strategies. Anyone interested in being notified of a class in their area should email us. Click the pictures to enlarge.

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In memorial...

PHOTO CREDIT: Dominik Mosur

Yesterday, i noticed a post on one of the Bay area birding lists about a barn owl that had perished and was hanging from a limb of a tall pine. My initial thought was that it had gotten entangled in something. I contacted the author of the post, a well known birder, for more information. 

Sure enough, the bird had netting around its leg. What's worse... not only did the owl get tangled up in manmade debris then get caught in the tree and went days if not weeks without food but, apparently, no one realized the bird was in trouble and so no one called for help while it was alive. 

We're hoping this story will make others more vigilant and quicker to report wild animals that may be in distress.

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Could we get a little murre with that frankincense?

Christmas Day, Duane and i decided to forego brunch in Pebble Beach, and instead, take the wildlife ambulance on a mission up the coast toward San Francisco looking for animals in distress... doing what we do best!



Just south of Half Moon Bay we spotted a murre on Pomponio State Beach.  He was freshly oiled (probably natural seep) but he was REALLY 'up'. It took some effort to get him before he got back into the water. He was transferred to Peninsula Humane and will be sent to Int'l Bird Rescue for washing and care.

The next poor bird we found was an injured gull. He was wet and hungry and easy to capture. He, too, was taken to a wildlife center for care. Check out the video below.

We probably would have found other birds if the weather had not been so bad. Normally we are able to find large groups of gulls hanging around at 'hot spots', but with the wind and rain there were few.

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2nd Beer Can Collared Gull SAVED!

Today, WildRescue capture specialists traveled to San Francisco State University in hope of capturing a second Budweiser can collared gull that was reported a few of weeks ago.

Thanks to help from a concerned citizen who kept watch over the gull and befriended it with daily handouts, we were able to get close enough to catch the elusive seabird - one of possibly 5 gulls in the Bay Area that have been maliciously captured and collared with cut Budweiser beer cans.

Once netted, the juvenile Western gull was checked thoroughly, on site, by wildlife rehabilitator Mark Russell from International Bird Rescue (Fairfield). It was found to be in good health and was released on the spot. Watch video HERE.

If left on the birds the cans will eventually kill them. Their sharp edges interfere with the feathers causing the birds to lose precious body heat and allowing cold air and water to reach the bird’s skin.


Photo credit: Russ Curtis

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