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REHABILITATION COUNCIL Volume 38, Number 1, 2018 REHABILITATION

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REHABILITATION COUNCIL Volume 38, Number 1, 2018 REHABILITATION JOURNA L OF ILDLIFE INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE W REHABILITATION COUNCIL Volume 38, Number 1, 2018 REHABILITATION IN THIS ISSUE: Does food provided to captive scavenging wildlife contain veterinary agent residues? First hand-rearing and translocation of the vulnerable yelkouan shearwater in Malta. Revisiting the meaning of “science” in the new political climate. ABOUT THE JOURNAL THE Journal of Wildlife Rehabilitation is designed to provide useful information to wildlife rehabilitators and others involved in the care and treatment of native wild species with the ultimate purpose of returning them to the wild. The journal is published by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC), which invites your comments on this issue. Through this publication, rehabilitation courses offered online and on-site in numerous locations, and its outreach to those in the profession, the IWRC works to disseminate information and improve the quality of the care provided to wildlife. On the cover: Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus). PHOTO © ZWEER DE BRUIN, FLICKR. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Left: Black bear cub (Ursus americanus). (See In the News, page 6.) PHOTO ©MIGUELB, FLICKR. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council PO Box 3197 Eugene, OR 97403 USA Phone: 866.871.1869 Fax: 408.876.6153 Toll free: 866. 871.1869 Email: [email protected] [email protected] www.theiwrc.org JOURNA L OF ILDLIFE Providing science-based education W and resources on wildlife rehabilitation to promote wildlife conservation REHABILITATION and welfare worldwide. Volume 38(1) Editor CONTENTS Kieran J. Lindsey, PhD Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Virginia USA PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS Art Director Nancy Hawekotte Cumulus Creative 7 Art offices:maha, O Nebraska USA First hand-rearing and translocation of Vulnerable yelkouan shearwa- ters, Puffinus yelkouan, in Malta Nicola Piludu, Edward Jenkins, Julia Gulka, and Eurydike Kovacs 15 Case study: detection of two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the eggs of captive-reared bearded vultures at a breeding center in southern Spain Irene Zorrilla, Ngaio L. Richards, José Ramón Benítez, Monica Calvino, Isabel Fernandez, Francisco Rodriguez DEPARTMENTS Editorial 4 In the News 5 Selected Abstracts 30 Tail Ends 34 Submission Guidelines 35 The Journal of Wildlife Rehabilitation is published by the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC), PO Box 3197, Eugene, OR 97403 USA. ©2018 (ISSN: 2166-9198). All rights reserved. Volume 38(1) 3 275 w/col (1/3p) IWRC EDITORIAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Politics Prompts Reflections on “Science” President Susan Wylie ecent news on language the Center many other possible explanations. Perhaps Le Nichoir for Disease Control was alledgedly the parents of those infants were particularly Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, CA forbidden from using in describ- fit and their young inherited genetic traits President-Elect Ring budget goals led me to reflect on the allowing them to thrive despite a less-than- Adam Grogan importance of science to IWRC’s mission. ideal diet. RSPCA Horsham, West Sussex, UK Even the possibility that such an institution, I’m intimately familiar with the lack founded with evidence-based human health of scientific data available for aspects of Vice President Mandy Kamps at its mission’s core, would be barred from wildlife rehabilitation. This makes decision- State of Wisconsin using correct technical vocabulary irked me. making difficult for individual practitioners Wausau, Wisconsin, USA Evidence-based practices resulting from and challenging for instructors and course Secretary true scientific methodology are necessary in developers. However, our field is compiling Kristen Heitman, CWR advancing our relatively young field of wild- scientific knowledge—piece by piece, animal Providence Wildlife Rehabilitation life rehabilitation. The term “science-based” by animal, datum by datum—structuring Westfield, Indiana, USA is specifically articulated in IWRC’s mission a stronger practice of wildlife rehabilitation Treasurer statement: “Providing science-based educa- each year as a result. Dani Nicholson Willow Tree Wildlife tion and resources on wildlife rehabilitation Let us take a moment to unpack “sci- Cayucos, California, USA to promote wildlife conservation and welfare ence” even further. worldwide.” As such, I took some time to Science is a process, not an indivisible Lloyd Brown, CWR Wildlife Rescue of Dade County consider why we chose to include science in fact. Each inquiry refines our understand- Miami, Florida, USA our mission, a statement in which each word ing of best practices and sets a brick in the Brooke Durham was chosen with care. foundation of wildlife rehabilitation. A “sci- Rep4Wildlife Science is integral to IWRC’s efforts in entific theory” is not a guess or the result of a San Diego, California, USA training people in the practice of wildlife single observation. Rather, it is the output of Shathi Govender rehabilitation and broadcasting updates to rigorous, structured, repeatable inquiry and TISA Risk Management practitioners and allies. Our shared use of testing. This process can cause confusion and Houston, Texas, USA scientific inquiry provides a way to judge consternation among those more familiar Bonnie Gulas-Wroblowski the validity and success of a specific practice. with the colloquial use of the word “theory,” Dove Key Ranch WL Rehabilitation Center For example: A rehabilitator sees great meaning an unsubstantiated conjecture or Columbus, Texas, USA vitality in a group of rehab infants given one opinion. Such individuals may equate the Brenda Harms diet, and speculates that the diet leads to iterative nature of scientific discovery with Pelham, New York, USA greater fitness and survival to release. Over weakness, instead of realizing that constant Laurin Huse the next few years, she tracks health mark- inquiry combined with skeptical analysis, as Cascades Raptor Center Eugene, Oregon, USA ers in infants fed this diet versus those fed practiced in science, is a great strength that a more commonly-used diet. She may ask keeps us from doing things solely because Ashraf NVK Wildlife Trust of India colleagues to implement a similar protocol that is the way they have always been done. Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India and share data. She analyzes results to deter- As we expand our knowledge, we learn, we Suzanne Pugh mine whether the hypothesis proves true. She change, and we improve. Vet Strategy–Canada presents her results at a conference or submits This structured approach to inquiry Kelowna, BC, Canada a peer-reviewed paper. Through this, she pro- within a community of individuals with vides her colleagues the ability to review the a shared commitment to critical analysis, process and concur or dispute her analyses. transparency, and continually-improving Kai Williams Executive Director This example has all the key components care protocols is why science is so central to necessary to the scientific method:observa - IWRC’s mission. Julissa Favela Programs and Membership Manager tion, hypothesis, testing, analysis, and review. This exploration of science and wildlife Laura Ratti Compare this to a rehabilitator who stops at rehabilitation will be continued in the edito- Bookkeeper that first step and assumes he has developed rial of 38(2). Katie McInnis a superior diet. This could have been the case — Kai Williams Class Coordinator regarding increased vitality, but there are Executive Director 4 Journal of Wildlife Rehabilitation 275 w/col (1/3p) IN THE NEWS Turtle Seizure Rehab Needs Elicit Multi-Country Response IFATY, Madagascar (April 18, 2018)—On Tuesday, April 10, more than 10,000 criti- cally endangered radiated tortoises (Astro- chelys radiata) were discovered by local police in a nondescript private residence in Toliara, Madagascar. The floors of virtu- ally every room in the house were covered with tortoises that had no access to food or water. As of Friday, April 13, hundreds had died from dehydration and illness. Experts from the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) and several zoos and aquariums have been dispatched with medical supplies, and will administer medical and general care for the sick or injured tortoises. It is not known how long the tortoises have been in the home. Some arrests Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata). PHOTO © SEBASTIAN NEIDLICH. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 LICENSE. have been made. The local police, in partnership with Directeur Regional de here,” said Rick Hudson, President of the tunately, due to our strong relationship l’Environnement, de l‘Ecologie, et des Turtle Survival Alliance. “We were already with the zoo community, the TSA is Forets (DREEF) and the conservation law caring for 8,000 tortoises in Madagascar; well positioned to respond to crises such enforcement authorities in Madagascar, now that number has more than doubled as this.” continue their investigation. It is believed overnight.” “The immediate response of more that the tortoises were collected for the Participating organizations accredited than 20 AZA-accredited facilities, offer- illegal pet trade, possibly for shipment to by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums ing their expertise and assistance to care Asia where the tortoises’ highly-domed (AZA) include Abilene Zoo, Bronx Zoo/ for thousands of tortoises in Madagascar, shell featuring a brilliant star pattern makes Wildlife Conservation Society, Columbus is proof we will take whatever action is them highly prized. It is estimated that Zoo and
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