The discipline of wildlife rehabilitation draws from many related fields. To truly understand a wild animal and its requirements while it is undergoing rehabilitation, we must understand its growth and development, behaviours and socialization, habitats and seasonal changes, diet and means of procuring food, and common challenges in its environment (e.g., diseases, food scarcity, inclement weather, etc.)

Scientists study, in fascinating detail, the lives of wild creatures in their environments. These researchers, who specialize in the study of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fish, insects or plants, have amassed information that contributes to a larger picture, and they continue to do so.

By availing ourselves of specialized information, we can look at our patients both in their larger context and through a magnifying glass. We can begin to see the intricate details and the larger picture that they comprise, which are a whole animal -- its life and its needs.

To learn more about fields that relate to wildlife and wildlife care, choose a topic from the menu on the right.