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When young mammals have become self-feeding, are fully furred and
have good motor control, they are prepared for release. They are
moved outdoors to large enclosures that offer species-specific opportunity
for movement (e.g. climbing, running, digging burrowing, swimming,
gliding, etc.), nesting or denning, and foraging.
Release cages for small mammals may be constructed from wood and
hardware cloth, while stronger animals are often housed within chain
link enclosures. The floor is usually concrete or hard-packed dirt,
covered with substrate. Curbing is used to prevent the animal digging
out or a predator digging in. The enclosure must offer protection
from the elements, drainage, protection from predators and a denning
or nesting area.
Young birds that are self-feeding, fully feathered and at least
partially flighted, and adults that are self-feeding, in good feather
and capable of near-normal movement are moved to outdoor aviaries
for conditioning and release training. The aviary must allow the
bird room for normal flight, thus large birds (e.g. eagles, owls)
are housed in large flight cages suited to their needs, while smaller
species require less space. Large waterfowl (e.g. geese) are usually
housed in fenced compounds with ponds.
Aviaries and flight cages are commonly constructed from wood. The
walls of passerine aviaries are commonly hardware cloth over wood
framing, with soft netting lining the inside to prevent feather
damage and the entrance of snakes and mosquitoes. Flight cages for
birds of prey have sturdier walls. Floors are usually packed dirt
or concrete, covered with removable substrate (e.g. sand, gravel).
Curbing is used to prevent a predator digging in. The enclosure
must offer protection from the elements, drainage, protection from
predators (and curious domestic animals and humans), roosting, nesting
and perching areas and all the equipment required by the species
(e.g., sand and dirt for dust bathing, suitably sized water sources,
perches, etc.) Cavity-nesting birds such as woodpeckers (and numerous
others, in cold weather) require hollow logs or nest boxes. Species
that creep or climb require upright logs, trees, etc.
Release cages should have double doors (i.e., an 'airlock') so
that animals do not escape before they are ready for release. In
North America and countries where mosquito-born diseases (e.g. West
Nile virus) are prevalent, outdoor enclosures should be fully screened
for the protection of the animals.
Caging
Materials from the Supplies Database
Plans for release cages, aviaries and flight cages can be found
in some of the rehabilitation manuals listed on the main page of
"Caging and Housing."
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