REHABILITATION – NOT A SPEEDY PROCESS!

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Far from being a quick and easy practice, successful rehabilitation of an animal and its subsequent release back into the wild is a process that can actually take several years, requiring a great deal of patience, commitment and hard, hard work. To give a unique insight into the work being done at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, Rehabilitation Manager, Alma van Dorenmalen, reveals more about the seven stages that make up the full rehabilitation process

Intake and stablisation

The first stage of the rehabilitation process is actually the shortest, lasting up to four days. When the animal arrives, this time is used to assess its health and condition and to provide it with a comfortable environment before rehabilitation can fully begin.

Quarantine

The second phase requires at least six weeks – if it is a primate, this is the absolute minimum time period. Throughout this stage, the animals are screened for diseases and given treatment for tuberculosis (TB) if needed. Hopefully during this time a suitable foster mother can be introduced to infants, however people can also function as caregivers if necessary and this is where our international volunteers play a vital part in the process by providing round-the-clock care and attention.

Integration/resocialisation

During this third phase, animals are integrated and resocialised with other groups and subgroups, a process that can last anywhere from three to six months, depending on the individual animals.

Group stablisation and formation

The longest of the stages, which can last up to four years or even more, involves ongoing observations and monitoring. After integrating new animals, groups may experience changes in dynamics and it can take a while to establish a new hierarchy. Different animals are integrated with each other until stable groups are formed.

Pre-release group assessment

This involves a group health check that lasts between six and nine months. Pre-release data is collected on groups and individuals as they are assessed on their suitability for release and their ability to survive in the wild. This involves a predator-awareness test and other ongoing observations.

Transfer to release site

Animals are caught and finally transferred to their release enclosure at the release site. Monitoring and data collection begins, with the release of the animals into the area being situation-specific and dependant on their behaviour. This stage can last up to two months.

Post-release monitoring

After the animals have been released, a six-month period of post-release monitoring and data collection begins to check that they are getting on well within their new home.

We are extremely proud of our rehabilitation programme, with a total of 45 animals released back into the wild in 2016. Our work is only possible thanks to our team of dedicated staff and international volunteers, so if you want the chance to play a vital part in an animal’s journey back into the wild, read more about our volunteer programme here.