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Hello everyone!

Its Michaela here, this is my first post on this blog in nearly two years! I just wanted to thank you all for the support over the years and give you an update on where I am now. I have just started up a new blog on my official website - mikscreepycrawlies.co.uk ! I run an animal encounter business that specialises in invertebrates! It would be awesome if all you guys went over there and checked out the new posts, there will be care sheets, fact sheets and information on all of my animals and my business!

Lots of love!

My First Birdfair!

Last weekend we went up to our first ever Birdfair held at Rutland Water. We didn't really know what to expect but it is something that is on my bucket list so when the opportunity arose I couldn't turn it down; especially knowing the Nick Baker would be there doing a talk! (Childhood idol!) It exceeded all expectations! It is said to be the biggest wildlife event in the country and it definately is! Mainly focused on birds but lots to do with all other areas of wildlife too from all around the world. Could have done with some more British reptile recognition but still it was amazing!

I saw both Nick Bakers and Jess French's talks on getting children involved in nature and the environment and it is something that is incredibly close to my heart and something I am passionate about. Jess French especially as she loves insects and I do my creepy crawly educational talks! It was great to feel inspired and it has definitively made me a lot more determined to try and achieve my dreams!

Birdfair is something that any animal or nature lover must attend at some point in their life; its incredible!

Sri Lanka Bamboo Viper

Latin Name: Trimeresurus Trigoncephia

Originate: Sri Lanka from low elevations to 1800m.

Size: 20-25cm at birth and can grow to 130cm with the males being considerably smaller at 60-75cm.

Diet: Frogs, small mammals, birds and lizards.

Habitat: Grasslands and Rainforests.

Temperament: Not particularly defensive; will rattle tail if agitated followed by striking.

Venom: Haemotoxic; (venom destroys red blood cells) causing severe pain and swelling, no deaths have been reported.

These snakes are incredibly beautiful! They are an arboreal species and are endemic to Sri Lanka with no sub-species that are currently recognized. They bear live young and can give birth to up to 25 babies! 

Evaluation of Egyptian Fruit Bat Enclosure at Paradise Wildlife Park

Evaluation of Egyptian Fruit Bat Enclosure at Paradise Wildlife Park

The Egyptian Fruit Bat enclosure at Paradise Wildlife Park has many good and bad points as is the way with many zoo enclosures. Enclosures should mimic the natural environments of the animals that inhabit them and this can be very hard to do is captivity. The Egyptian Fruit Bat enclosure which is shown in the image below has a walk in area for the public in which the bats are actually free roaming, they have one nest box, mesh along the ceiling of the enclosure and many trees and branches based around the enclosure, there is a barrier up around the public path of the enclosure to still prevent the public from getting too close to the animals and there is a small water bowl placed on the top of their nest box.

Substrate - The first part of the enclosure in which I am going to evaluate is the substrate, the flooring for the public path in the enclosure is made up of tiles, and this is a good material to have been used because it is save and it is easily cleaned, it meets the keepers and the public’s needs, the one down side to the public path substrate is that it doesn’t really mimic the bats natural environment but if it was too then this would be quite impractical. The substrate for the rest of the bat enclosure is sand which is a brilliant substrate because it meets the needs of not only the keepers, but also the public and the bats, it mimics the bats natural habitat and this is good for the public as well because they can see the bats in an enclosure which is close to the bats natural habitat. It is also excellent for meeting the keeper’s needs because it is cheap and easy to clean and maintain.

Water Source – The water source in the Egyptian Fruit Bat enclosure was actually quite poor, it merely consisted of a small water bowl placed on top of the nest box with two stones placed in it. For the amount of bats there were in the enclosure this amount of water really was inadequate. It was also a very unnatural source of water for the bats as it was in a metal bowl. To make this better they could have a large bowl placed someone in the enclosure or they could have multiple bowls that are more natural looking to the environment theme of the enclosure as this will not only be more pleasing the eye for visitors but will also be better for the bats. One good point about the water source is that it is easy to refill and move for the keepers.

Food source - The food source for the bats was rather good because once a day keepers went into the enclosure with a large bucket of food and placed it on all the branches all around the enclosure. This was good because it meets the needs of everyone perfectly. It mimics that natural ways in which bats feed in the wild, it looks appealing and good to the visitors and encourages bats to fly around for their food just like they would in the wild which allows the visitors to see and appreciate them at their best. It is also great for the keepers because it is easy to do, doesn’t take much time and is easy to clean up the next day. The only improvement which I can suggest is to introduce some real fruit plants and trees so that it is more natural and this will save time because the fruits will grow naturally and won’t need to be cut up and placed out, it would also make the enclosure look a lot more appealing to the eye.

Variation in temperature – The variation in temperature in the enclosure was quite good other than the fact that in winter it would become slightly too cold so therefore the bats wouldn’t be as active and this meant they weren’t able to express natural behaviour. The heat came from one side of the enclosure and the heat was able to naturally rise and there was an open door allowing cooler air to get into the enclosure and this open door was what caused the temperature to be cooler than it should be during winter. As an improvement the enclosure could have a stronger heating system, it could be placed in a different part of the enclosure such as the back and the enclosure should be more able to keep heat without it losing it through open doors etc.

Air movement – The air movement in this enclosure was adequate, the enclosure had an open door at the front so therefore lots of fresh air could get in and there were also actual vents in the enclosure. But this wasn’t as good as it could have been as you could still smell fruit in there and this attracted flies, a way to improve the air movement would be to maybe placed fans in the enclosure to encourage the air to move in and out and to get rid of the constant smell of fruit.

Lighting – The lighting in the bat enclosure is great for both the keepers and the public because it is completely lit so this means that the public are able to see the bats really clearly and around the whole enclosure and it also means that it is a lot easier for the keepers to keep an eye on the bats and to clean the enclosure because they can see fully. On the other hand this isn’t brilliant for the bats because they are nocturnal animals and they spend most of their time in dark caves and in the natural environment would not normally be exposed to much light at all so therefore this isn’t a brilliant feature of the enclosure. A way to make this better and more suitable for not only the keepers and the public but also for the bats is to have the lights in the enclosure but only turn them all on when absolutely necessary and for the other time have all of the lights off because the roof of the bat enclosure allows natural sunlight to shine through so therefore the enclosure will still be partially lit so that the public can see and things and although bats don’t see much natural sunlight it is much better than artificial light.

Humidity control – The bat enclosure at Paradise does not have a very good humidity control system. It consists of occasionally spraying the enclosure with a small hand held spray and then due to the high temperature this creating some humidity but this does not create the necessary amount of humidity for bats and it is also quite impractical for the keepers to do every day. A better system would be to have sprinklers that are on an automatic timer as this would provide the correct amount of humidity for the bats and it would be a lot more practical for the keepers because it would mean that they wouldn’t have to spend time spraying the whole enclosure every day which would save a lot of time and effort.

Size – The size of the enclosure meets the minimum requirements of an Egyptian Fruit bat enclosure but for the number of bats it holds it could be bigger so that they could have a lot more room to fly around. The exact size of the enclosure was 3 ½ m long, 4m wide and about 5m high. The ceiling height is perfect because it gives bats the freedom and space to fly but they don’t have much ground room for when they are flying low when they are eating and things and so therefore this is the area that I believe should be made a little bigger.

Boundaries and access – The boundaries of the bat enclosure are very good, there are plastic slats at the entrance to allow members of the public in and to keep the bats from getting out and I think this is the best type of entrance because it is very effective, there is also a second set of plastic slats to ensure extra safety in case a bat was to get out of the first set of slats. As the perimeter of the walk way there is a raised wooden barrier and this is good because although people could get over it because it is raised and the wooden beams are close together this deters people from it and even if they did they couldn’t actually get to the bats because the bats have the space to fly to safety. It is good for the bats because it means that the areas which they can fly in their enclosure are not restricted and it is a good thing for the keepers because it means that the whole enclosure is easily accessible because keepers are able to just enter the enclosure through the doors and then climb over the barriers. Improvements could be made to ensure that people don’t climb over the barriers such as make them higher but this would make it less easily accessible to keepers and will also restrict where the bats can fly. There is also access to the enclosure on the other side of the barriers which is a small door which can be useful during cleaning if you don’t want to dirty the floors and also as an entry and exit point for keepers when the bat house is busy.

Hygiene - The only bad point about the hygiene in this enclosure is due to the poor air movement the enclosure constantly smells of fruit and so therefore this attracts flies, other than that the enclosure is very hygienic and very easy to clean. The walls have a smooth hard covering over them and are painted to look like Egyptian desert which is incredibly pleasing to the eye of the public but the main purpose of it is so that it is easy to clean. The sand used as substrate is easy to clean because you can scope up any of it that is dirty and rake it regularly to make sure it remains fresh for as long as possible. The barriers and signs are all easy to wipe stuff off of too and the tiled public walkway is easy to clean too because you can just wash it down. The building doesn’t have a drainage system on the inside but this isn’t a problem because you can squeegee all of the dirty water outside where there are plenty or drains and this is not a problem because the building is quite small in all.

Enrichment and toys – As enrichment for the bats they are not given anything temporary but there enclosure is regularly changed around so that they are not bored and things remain interesting. They have many branches and logs and rocks in their enclosure which mimic their natural environment and allow keepers to pierce their food on all of the branches so they can consume it like they would in the wild. They also have a layer of mesh along the ceiling in order for the bats to be able to hang upside down, the only fault with this is that it is not plastic coated so therefore it could damage the bats wing membranes if they fly too close to it. They have many hanging shelves which rock which keepers also place fruit on and they also have ropes which hang so that the bats can also hang on them.

Social structure - The social structure of the bat colony in the enclosure at Paradise was brilliant and mimics exactly how they would live in the wild, the only way that they could improve it would be to give the bats more space to roam. They have a colony of about 40 bats, male’s females, young and old. Bats live in large colonies like this in the wild and the keepers try to have as little to do with them as possible unless they need to intervene, which is good because it means that the bats are living just as they would in their natural habitats.

Resting places and areas to hide – This is probably one of the worst areas of the enclosure as in a bats natural habitat they spend most of their time in caves or very secluded dark areas and they are very shy animals. The only hiding/resting place in the enclosure is a little nest box in the left hand corner of the enclosure. It is not very big so therefore isn’t of any use to a colony of 40+ bats. To improve this they should either provide the bats with a much bigger nest box that they can all use or provide them with multiple nest boxes. They could also just provide them with a more secluded area which they could shelter in that is away from the public. The one good point about this set up though is that it is good for the public because it means that the bats are almost always out where they can be seen.

Signs and education – The signs around the bat enclosure were very informative. There was a big one just as you go into the enclosure which informed you of what species they are, where they come from, what they eat and other facts about them. Then around the actual enclosure there was a small sign in the shape of bats which had quick fun facts about general bat species which was really good and seemed to interest people. The only way in which these can be improved is for the small bats signs to be made slightly bigger so that they stand out more and are easy to read. There is also a bat feed and talk which is a great way to get the public interested and to teach them about bats and in the talk they don’t only talk about Egyptian Fruit bats they speak about other species and bats in general which is good. They answer any questions that the public have which gets them involved and keeps them interested. The bat feed because you got to see how the keepers but the food out for the bats and why they hang it on branches and you also got to learn about what they eat but it seemed to be a bit of a disappointment to members of the public because the bats don’t come down to feed while people are there as they are shy and nocturnal but this cannot be helped.

Stereotypical behaviour – As far as I could tell there was no stereotypical behaviour being shown in the bats other than the fact that they do not actually sleep properly during the day. Other than that they behave normally hanging upside down huddled together in one corner of the enclosure, occasionally squabbling over the best spots and then in the evenings when the zoo has quietened down and their food is out they begin to fly around as they would in the wild and feast. The reason for them not properly sleeping during the day is probably due to the public being in their enclosure throughout the day and this may be stressful for them as they are such shy animals.

So overall I think the enclosure was successful at trying to mimic an Egyptian Fruit Bats natural habitat but it still had some major flaws which could be amended. To the public the enclosure meets all of their needs and shows and teaches them a vast range of information about bats in general as well as the Egyptian Fruit Bat species. For the keepers the enclosure is also perfect because it meets all of keeper’s requirements. When it comes to the bats though this is where the enclosure is lacking, they desperately need more privacy from the public through more or larger nest boxes being provided and this may stop any stereotypical behaviour which is being shown. They also need a better water source and better humidity and temperature control in their enclosure to provide them with a more suitable environment. It is however hard to mimic an animal’s natural habitat completely in captivity and there will always be improvements that could be made. Also when creating an enclosure in a zoo it must meet needs of the keepers and the public too and this is most of the time a near impossible task so overall I think that the Egyptian Fruit Bat enclosure at Paradise Wildlife Park is good and only need to make a few adjustments that are necessary.

Restraint of Zoo Animals

Restraint of Zoo Animals

There are many ways in which animals of any species can be restrained using various different forms of equipment. It is an important tool to be able to restrain animals because this allows people to be able to examine them, provide them with any medicine necessary, and to be able to take care of them correctly in a safe manner. Two animals which commonly need to be restrained are Tigers and Snakes and there are many different forms of equipment which are used to aid in restraining them.

Tigers need to be restrained, especially in captivity for many reasons including to examine them and to administer medication. One form of restraint equipment for a tiger is a crush cage which is shown in the picture on the left. These are a good form of restraint because they offer a simple way to administer medication such as vaccinations, antibiotics and other shots. As the tiger moves through the cage it is briefly squeezed against the bars so the keepers can inject them most commonly in their shoulders. This is a quicker, safer and less stressful method than certain other methods such as a dart gun, which might hit a bone or an eye or not fully inject the medication into an animal. It is definitely a safer method than immobilization. By using the crush cage, tigers are freed again almost instantly before they have even realised what has actually happened. They work by having openings in both sides of the cage, and tigers can be conditioned to enter these, they are then shut in and as they are specially sized so that the tiger doesn’t have any room to move about this allows keepers to be able to get close to the cats without putting them in any danger, the mesh allows for keepers to be able to inject the cats or take blood without risking injury and then the cats can be quickly released through the door on the other side. They are best for restraining tigers for short periods of time.

Another method used to restrain a tiger is through chemical sedation. Chemical restraint is a form of medical restraint in which a drug is used to restrict the freedom or movement of an animal or in some cases to completely sedate an animal. Or another form of chemical sedation is where the animal is injected directly with the medicine it requires. The four main types of chemical sedation are pole syringes, blowpipes, dart pistols and dart guns. Pole syringes are cheap, safe and quiet but are only useful when an animal is physically restrained in things such as a crush cage. Blowpipes are probably the cheapest and the safest however they have a range of only 10-15 metres and require considerable practise to be used effectively. Dart pistols are more accurate and have a greater range than blowpipes (they have a range of up to 20 metres), however they are more expensive and more powerful which could also mean greater danger to the target animal. Lastly dart rifles provide the greatest range of up to 50 metres, and are the system choice for large open enclosures, but they are also the most expensive and most dangerous of the equipment and require the largest amount of training to be able to be used effectively. The drugs must be drawn up by a veterinarian to ensure that the right amount of the drug is being used for the individual animal and to ensure that everything is as it should be. There is a certain piece of documentation in which people require when operating dart guns of any sort and that is a fire arms license. They are obtained through the local police force and have to be renewed every three years. It is essential for any zoo that houses carnivores to acquire a firearms license under the zoo licensing act.

The last method of restraint that is going to be talked about for a tiger is target training which a fairly new form of restraint. Target training is when keepers work closely alongside the tigers training them to touch targets for a reward which can then lead to keepers performing physical examinations on the cat through a barrier. This is an extremely useful restraint method because it is extremely safe and causes minimal stress to the animal, in fact it could be seen as making examinations which would normally be stressful for a tiger fun because they get rewarded and it keeps them stimulated. The only fault in this method is that it is very time consuming and it takes a very long time to train a tiger fully so that a proper physical examination can be carried out. Through target training tigers can be trained to do a variety of things such as lie down with their bodies against the mesh, allow keepers to pull their tails through the gaps in the mesh, to stand on their hind legs with their bellies exposed to the mesh, and even to open their mouths on command.

Snakes are a very different animal to try and restrain and so therefore there are many different pieces of equipment and methods used to restrain them. The most common one is known as a snake hook. The advantages of this is that it is cheap, allows for minimal contact and handling of the snake and they are very safe. The disadvantages however are if you are not careful you could easily harm the snake especially if you try to pin its head with the snake hook and so therefore you must be able to use it properly and carefully for it to be fully affective. Snake hooks work by allowing people to manipulate and hold a snake away from themselves and others; usually they are used while the said person is holding the snake by the tail as extra support in order to control the head so that the snake is incapable of turning to bite. Snake hooks can also be used to restrain the head so that people can safely grab the snake, this is done by pinning the head to the ground so that the snake is unable to move it (make sure too much pressure isn’t applied), this allows keepers to then reach down and grab the snake so that it is safely restrained.

Another form of restraint equipment used to restrain a snake it a shift box. There are many different designs of shift boxes but their basic function remains the same, they are used to completely restrain a snake and allow keepers to have no direct contact with the snake. These are great pieces of equipment for either administering jabs or putting the snake under anaesthesia. They are most commonly used for venomous snakes which can’t be handled. The disadvantages of these are that you have to be properly trained in how to use them effectively, they can be expensive and they can be over designed which maximises the chance of their being a door left unsecured allowing for the snake to escape. But overall they are a very effective tool used to completely restrain a snake while causing minimal stress. Shift boxes are made up of various entrance and exit points for the snake and various compartments. The compartments vary in size so that people can choose the most appropriate one to correctly restrain the snake for the procedure they are carrying out and also depending on the size of the snake. Snakes can once again be trained to enter these, especially when there is one permanently placed in their enclosure. Shift boxes consist of many sliding doors which are used in order to restrain snakes appropriately by shutting them into appropriately sized compartments, they can then be allowed to exit through one of the many exit holes once the procedure is complete.

Another common piece of equipment used to restrain snakes is a snake tube. These are once again a good piece of equipment to be used to restrain venomous snakes and they are a lot simpler to use compared to shift boxes. They are also a lot cheaper compared to shift boxes. The main fault in snake tubes is that you have to ensure that it is the right size for the snake; if not then the snake will either be able to turn round and bite a keeper or escape the tube or when they try to leave the tube after the procedure they will become stuck. Both of these are very dangerous occurrences. Snake tubes are the best piece of equipment to use when you are injecting a snake with something or taking blood because this gives you complete control over a snake and is neither stressful for you or the snake and allows things to be over in minutes. The only thing you must ensure with snake tubes is that you are careful, calm and take your time. If things are rushed then things are more likely to go wrong, especially when entering the snake into the tube to begin with because this is when keepers are most vunerable to a bite. Snake tubes actually work most of the time by gently encouraging the snake to crawl through the tube itself and then once it is about half way through the snake should be grabbed and held in place while the procedure is being carried out, it can then be let go and allowed to exit once the procedure is complete. You should hold the snake as shown in the picture on the left. It is important that the snake is held in this way because otherwise it could easily wriggle the tube off of its body so therefore it would not be properly restrained and this could prove very dangerous for both the restrainer and the snake. Some snakes can be difficult to encourage into a snake tube and in this case you would need to first restrain the snake using a snake hook and then grabbing its head and the pushing it into the tube and removing your hand quickly as you let go. This is the method used commonly for bigger and more venomous snakes.

It is incredibly important to keep accurate and up to date records of restraint procedures of animals to ensure that there is a clear outline of how to safely restrain an individual as all animals are slightly different. Risk assessments should also be carried out for each form of restraint for each animal so that people are aware of any risks that might occur and also so that dangers and accidents can be avoided. These are all essential thanks to legislations such as The Animal Welfare Act and The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order. Another important thing to consider when restraining animals is that the equipment remains in good condition and is regularly checked; this is extremely important as if the restraint equipment is not kept in good condition it may become inaffective when keepers are using it and this could put people and animals in very comprimising and dangerous situations. These are examples of some of the paperwork required for when restraining or moving animals, you also must have a firearms license if you euthanise a zoo animal and you must be able to prove that it was necessary. You must also have to correct documentation for animals stating that you are legally allowed to transport them (especially when it is to a different country) and you must be able to prove that their welfare need and 5 freedoms are being met and that they are not overly stressed. If there are any issues with any of these then you will not be allowed to transport the animal any further. Another important piece of paperwork when it comes to the restraint of zoo animals is certificates proving that animal keepers have attended training days and had appropriate training and experience at restraining said animals to ensure that they know what they are doing to limit the risks of things going wrong and harm coming to the keepers or the animals. CITES is an organisation which aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival, this covers the restraint of animals because often they must be restrained for transportation especially between countries and so they ensure that animals are restrained successfully and under the correct guidelines and they also constantly moniter this and zoos must have the correct paperwork in order to transport animals to ensure that everything is CITES approved. ISIS stands for the International Species Information System and its website details which species of animals are held in which zoos all over the world and so therefore holds an invaluable amount of data which aids zoos in trading in animals and is a vital key to successful breeding programs through countries, this is so important as without it it would be incredibly difficult to put together breeding programs especially when  it comes to very endangered animals. ARKS stands for Animal Record Keeping system and is a part of ISIS and is a brilliant example of record keeping for zoo animals and highlights just how important it is. This holds animal information on animals from 650 different zoos from around the world which has created a brilliant resource that has enhanced the cooperation of zoos worldwide. This allows keepers to compare experiences and share vital information and findings with each other in a very quick and easy manner. So therefore this highlights just how important records are, especially on a worldwide scale.

Zoo Animal Health and Welfare

Zoo Animal Health and Welfare

There are hundreds of diseases out there which affect all different types of animals. In this assignment the health and diseases of a zebra will be discussed. The three diseases that will be talked about are ringworm, equine influenza and strangles. It can sometimes be difficult to tell whether a zebra is in good condition or not as they always have round bellies as a result of gases bloating their stomachs. One of the clearest signs of bad health in a zebra is when the hair of the mane flops down rather than staying upright and this is caused by a loss of fat around the neck. This is because when a zebra begins to lose wait this is the first area of the body that it will lose weight on. Other signs of poor health in a zebra include things such as lying down, not socialising with the herd, not eating or drinking, not passing faeces or urine, not being alert, showing any signs of weakness when moving around, not moving around a lot, and having any kind of discharge or pus secreting from anywhere. Signs of a healthy zebra include being alert and active, eating and drinking regularly and passing urine and faeces regularly.

Ringworm is a parasitic fungal infection caused by dermatophytes which affects the skin of many animals including zebras. It is zoonotic and can be passed onto humans. There are many signs and symptoms of this disease which include itching which can result in frequent scratching and excessive grooming and this is the most commonly spotted and one of the first signs that people see, this is followed by skins rashes and scaly or thickened skin in these areas where the skin may peel off, hair loss is also seen and thickening of the hooves which can cause the hooves to become brittle, discoloured and flaky. If the infection becomes widespread all over the body it can cause intense discomfort and unusual behaviour changes in zebra. The diagnosis of this condition is made by a veterinarian who examines the animal using an ultraviolet light. In some cases ringworm can resolve on its own, but treatment varies depending on the severity of the infection. In mild cases, anti-fungal shampoos or lime-sulphur dip is used. Shaving the affected areas can also be helpful, but these kinds of treatment are likely to stress zebra so they aren’t usually advised. In severe cases vets may prescribe oral anti-fungal medications such as Griseofulvin in addition to topical treatments and for zebras this is thought to be a better route of treatment to avoid stressing the animal so this may be used earlier on in the infection. The health and safety implications of these treatments can be quite serious when using the first methods such as shaving the animal and the only way to complete these treatments safely would be to put the zebra to sleep whereas with the anti-fungal medication there are less implications as you can just place the medicine in the animals food, the main implication is to the animal and this is that it may suffer from an allergic reaction. The main ways to prevent this infection from affecting zebras is to ensure good husbandry practices, isolation of animals that are suspected to be affected by this infection, quarantine of new zebras and animals and regular health checks on all zebras in order to catch the disease early to limit the chances of it spreading to others. Without this zebras are a lot more susceptible to not only this disease but any other disease because this could mean that the five animal freedoms are not being met which are essential when keeping any animal, to ensure their safety and welfare.

Equine Influenza is a highly infectious viral disease which can affect most equine animals including zebras. It is caused by orthromyxovirus equine influenza A type 2. The main symptoms include things such as a high temperature, dry harsh sounding cough, clear nasal discharge which may turn yellow or green as secondary infections kick in, swollen lymph nodes under the jaw, a clear eye discharge, depression, lethargy, loss of appetite, swelling in the lower limbs and the zebra may become stiff and become reluctant to move around much if at all. This disease can be predicted but for a definite diagnosis blood tests and nasal swabs are necessary. Very young and very old zebras are the most susceptible to this disease and it can lead to fatalities. Treatment boils down to rest and good husbandry practises, an anti-inflammatory drug or antibiotics can be prescribed by a vet to help with the fever but other than that there is no medical treatment available. Affected zebras should be rested for a minimum of three weeks and kept separate from other zebras, fresh air is vital and they should not be exposed to dust from bedding, hay etc as this could worsen their cough and affect their respiratory system. They should be kept out of bad weather and in the shade and should be confined but made to move regularly so circulation and muscle strength is maintained. The way to prevent this disease from affecting zebras is through a vaccine also used for horses, it requires regular boosters every 3-6 months and the vaccine virus is shed for up to ten days after the vaccination so therefore the zebras should not be allowed to come into contact with any zebras who have not received the vaccine as it may be passed onto them. Also, meeting the five animal freedoms will help to prevent this disease as it will mean that you are providing the zebras with everything they require to live a happy and healthy life.

Strangles, which is also known as Equine Distemper, is a contagious upper respiratory tract infection which is caused by a certain type of bacterium, streptococcus equi. It is spread when the nasal discharge or material from draining abscesses contaminates feed and water troughs, bedding etc. This can affect zebras of any age but as with the other illnesses the young and the elderly are most susceptible.  The most common signs and symptoms of this illness are at first the animals will begin to appear dull and depressed and lose their appetite, they will then get a fever and swollen or enlarged lymph nodes around the throat, finally abscesses start to form in the throat and nasal passages and the animals will then begin to have difficulty breathing and a nasal discharge will start to appear. Clinical diagnosis is quite straightforward due to the obvious symptoms but for a definite diagnosis veterinarians take swabs from the nasal passage and abscesses to confirm the cause of the symptoms. The most effective treatments for this disease is thought to be antibiotics but once abscesses have started to form antibiotics are sometimes contradicted and cause the abscesses to spread to other parts of the body which is a condition that is almost always fatal in equine animals including zebras and so the condition must be caught early. Once abscesses have formed they must be kept clean and the animal must be isolated from other zebras to stop the spread of the infection. There are complications that can occur as this disease takes hold of zebras and the most common is secondary infections which are why wounds and open abscesses must be kept clean. There is a vaccine available to prevent this disease from occurring in zebras but it takes six weeks for it to become effective so is not suitable if there is already an outbreak of strangles within a collection. New zebras should always be placed in quarantine for  4-6 weeks at least to ensure they do not have disease and also to ensure they aren’t carriers of the diseases (blood tests will inform you of this). Immediate isolation of zebras suffering from the illness and disinfecting entire enclosures is also a very effective tool in preventing the disease as well as washing your hands between contacts with the zebras; this is part of the 5 animal needs.

So as you can see, many diseases are known to affect zebras all of different origins, but the main prevention of all of them is common for any disease, proper husbandry. The five freedoms are a very important factor to take into account especially when it comes to diseases, because if not all five are met then animals are much more likely to suffer from diseases and contract them and pass them onto other zebras. All of the five freedoms are relevant to the prevention of disease in different ways. 4) Animals are allowed to express normal behaviour and 3) Animals are provided with protection from and treatment of disease or injury. These are the most relevant because without them this could mean that animals are living in conditions in which diseases and infections will thrive in so therefore they will spread a lot more rapidly and it could also mean that prevention procedures are never used to prevent the diseases in zebras or that once a zebra has contracted a disease it has not been dealt with quick enough and so overall these things massively affect the zebras welfare needs and cause outbreaks of very dangerous illnesses. 1) Freedom from hunger and thirst is also important when it comes to preventing diseases because things such as dirty drinking water causes diseases to spread much quicker and also if an animal is not provided with the right food and the right nutrients then it will make it weak and a lot more susceptible to diseases and infections. 2) Freedom from discomfort is relevant when it comes to disease and especially when it comes to the prevention of them because it implies that you should do everything you can to prevent an animal from getting any type of disease or illness because it will avoid them from being in any kind of discomfort. This is also applies for if an animal has already contracted a disease because it implies that the disease should be treated promptly to avoid any more discomfort that is avoidable. Lastly, 5) Freedom from fear and distress is relevant when it comes to illnesses in animals because diseases weaken animals and therefore cause them to become distressed and so therefore it is important that they are treated as soon as possible or preferably the disease is prevented before this can be a problem. So overall the five animal needs are the most important things to consider when looking after and owning zebras and they are the main way to prevent animals including zebras from becoming ill and to successfully treat any zebras that have already contracted a disease. One of the most effective ways to meet these five freedoms is to prevent and control diseases, and this can be very effective if carried out correctly. In order to prevent diseases the most common way is through vaccinations and these are used to prevent many diseases but vaccinations cannot be made to stop infections in animals such as ringworm. Vaccinations stop an animal from contracting certain diseases completely and so therefore are very affective. Methods of control include things such as quarantine and regular health checks to catch diseases early are also proven to be very affective because they stop the spread of the diseases to other animals and also to people which is very important. Control methods are most important when it comes to infections as this and good hygienic living conditions are the only way to prevent animals including zebras from contracting them.

Be able to Rehabilitate Wildlife

Be able to Rehabilitate Wildlife

In this assignment I will be explaining in detail the steps required to rehabilitate and injured animal from a given scenario. The scenario I have chosen is ‘you’ve found a badger at the side of the road that looks tame, it doesn’t appear to have any injuries but it may have been hit by a car.’ I am going to include information on the immediate steps that should be taken if you were in this situation, suggestions of treatment, things to consider when rehabilitating the animal and information that links into the subject from the Vet Surgeons Act 1991 and the Wildlife Countryside Act Sections 1, 4, 5 and 9. I will also be discussing the ethical issues which may surround rescuing and rehabilitating a badger which may possibly have been hit by a car.

Badgers can be really dangerous animals so therefore it is best not to handle them unless you are very experienced, the best first step to take is to observe it from afar and then call for assistance from an animal hospital. A common sign that a badger is hurt or injured and requires assistance is when it is approachable because badgers are naturally suspicious of humans and if approached will run away if they sense your presence but this still means that you should not approach them without experienced assistance as you should never endanger yourself or anyone else to rescue a wild animal. Once it has been decided that the badger should definitely receive some help the first thing that must be done is it must be captured. Safety must come first so therefore especially when it comes to a suspected road traffic accident; you must ensure that you find a safe place to stop; you put your hazard warning lights on and place a warning triangle behind your car to alert other drivers of the hazard to avoid any accidents. While waiting for assistance you should take into account any potential hazards or escape routes for when capturing such as rivers, streams, drains or rough terrain. When approaching the badger be very wary as even if the badger seems submissive it could suddenly turn very aggressive and when approaching it is best to have two or three quiet people slowly approach rather than the badger be surrounded by lots of people, when capturing you should also try to keep handling to a minimum to prevent causing unnecessary stress to the animal. The best thing to do once you have approached the badger is to cover it up with something to try and calm it down; you could then put a dustbin or a strong box with a heavy weight on it to keep it where it is before you properly capture it, this will also help to minimise stress. It is also really important that you take note of the exact location where the badger was found as this is important for the release of the badger; they need to be released in the exact same spot so that they can find their way back to their sett and family. The best way to capture them after this would be by manoeuvring a dog-grasper around the badger’s neck, and ensure that it is placed behind the ears to minimise the chance of it becoming dislodged. Since the badger is conscious you should give it a stick or something to distract it from biting the handler when you go to grab the loose skin around the rump of the badger so that you can safely manoeuvre it into a carry cage. When lifting the badger ensure that its weight is supported through the rump and not through the dog-grasper around its neck. Ensure that it is fully secure in the carry cage and in the vehicle as you drive it to safety. You should drive them straight to a veterinary surgery or rehabilitation centre so that they can be examined and checked over to ensure that they have no internal or underlying injuries as this may well be the case if the badger was hit by a car.

After the badger has been assessed and any initial injuries have been treated it now should be considered about the actual rehabilitating of the animal and how to nurse it back to full health so that it can be re-released. There are many things to consider when you rehabilitate any animal including a badger such as all of the factors they may require, what they eat, whether you have the space and equipment needed to successfully rehabilitate them and how you are going to release them using either soft release or hard release, deciding this also depends on things such as how much you have had to handle the animal and how adjusted the animal has become to human contact. Another issue which must be considered when rehabilitating an animal is whether there are any legislations or laws stating that it is forbidden and whether it is ethically right to interfere with nature.

Badgers have their own legislation in the UK; The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and this legislation states that it is against the law to –

·         Wilfully kill, injure or take a badger.
 

·         Cruelly mistreat a badger.
 

·         Dig for a badger.
 

·         Intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy a badger sett – or obstruct access to it.
 

·         Cause a dog to enter a badger sett.
 

·         Disturb a badger when it is occupying a sett.

However there are exceptions to this law so therefore humans are allowed to interfere with a badger if the intention is to save its life and as long as they have the correct training needed to do this safely. It is also essential that the animal is released where it was first found so that it can be reunited with its family as badgers use the same setts for years and pass them down from generation to generation so they must be able to find their way home. Badgers are also protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act under schedule 7. It is also stated in the Vet Surgeons Act 1991 that when rehabilitating a badger if not fully qualified you cannot perform any veterinary procedures on a badger or administer any type of medication.

The first thing to do once you have the badger in your care is to register it with either the NFBG rehabilitation group, the Secret World Wildlife Release Officer or the RSPCA Rehabilitation Coordinator. This is so that they can be identified and monitored after release. Since the badger is an adult it should be treated and rehabilitated as quickly as possible so that it can be released, this minimises stress and gives it the best chance at survival after being re-released into the wild, this is also especially important between January and October because the badger could have cubs back at its sett which are relying on it for their own survival. During the period of recuperation the badger should be kept in a secure facility bearing in mind that they are capable of breaking through a wooden door in one night and your own health and safety should be top priority. Warmth by the way of a heat lamp is important for badgers and using an infrared lamp allows you to be able to see the animal easily without it affecting the animal. To start off with you should place the animal on clean blankets as this makes it easier to monitor that the badger is passing urine and faeces normally and once this has been confirmed you can alter it to more natural bedding such as hay or straw. You should place the bedding material in one of the back corners of the enclosure so that when it comes to cleaning out you can use the alternate corner as this means the badger will always have somewhere comfortable to go and also that it is encouraged to move around which aids the healing process. When it comes to feeding fresh water should be available at all times in a non-tip bowl and should be fed on cooked chicken and rice most commonly, they may not eat for the first 4-5 days and if this happens then substitute fresh water with liquid lectade to help support them and then once they are back on solid food change back to normal drinking water. They should be fed in the evenings as this is when they would start to look for food in the wild. Another thing to aid them is to provide them with logs as they can claw and chew at these as they would in their natural environment so therefore this will aid the healing process. You should then release the badger using the hard-release method which is where, once they are fully recovered you take them to the spot where they were found and just release them and leave them to return to normal life, with no more interference from people.

I believe that the rehabilitation of the badger was completely ethical as if it had in fact being hit by a car that was humans that were at fault so therefore we should do everything in our power to help the badger recover. I also believe that with badgers hard release is a lot more ethical as this means that minimum human interference is involved which is what is best for the animals and helps to keep them wild. It is a lot less ethical to interfere with a badger that is naturally ill as this can be seen as interfering with nature or god and is not necessarily seen as right but if humans are at fault then they should do everything in their power the mend the situation.