im bugs?

Texas approves controversial wildlife rehab rules despite 95% opposition

Supporters call the changes overdue, but many rescuers remain unconvinced. 

Wildlife rehabilitators across Texas are divided after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission unanimously approved sweeping changes to the state's wildlife rehabilitation program on May 29, despite overwhelming opposition during the public comment process. The new rules, which won't take effect until Sept. 1, 2027, are intended to professionalize wildlife rehabilitation, strengthen oversight and create a clearer pathway for training future rehabilitators. But critics warn the changes could reduce capacity at a time when Texas already struggles to meet the public's wildlife rescue needs. Texas Parks and Wildlife officials said the current system allows someone to become a permitted wildlife rehabilitator by watching a two-hour training video and passing a 10-question exam. "Wildlife rehabilitation has evolved into a highly complex and technical field," Richard Heilbrun, deputy director of TPWD's Wildlife Division, told commissioners. "We have many experienced rehabbers that are talented and knowledgeable, but in thinking about the future, there is very little way for us to transfer that knowledge to new rehabilitators." The adopted rules require future permit applicants to gain hands-on experience before receiving their own permit, create new permit tiers based on experience, require a veterinary consultation relationship and increase continuing education requirements...

"The adopted rules require future permit applicants to gain hands-on experience before receiving their own permit, create new permit tiers based on experience, require a veterinary consultation relationship and increase continuing education requirements." - A paragraph from the Chron article

This is so basic. This is basic animal handling permitting. If you're administering medical aid to an animal, you should have experience and a working relationship with a vet just in case the animal needs more care than you can provide. Thats common sense.

The next paragraph goes into the actual training requirements, which I could understand as seeing them being a little steep. 600 hrs of training (15 weeks @ 40 hrs a week) could definitely be a limitation-- but this is for someone who wants to obtain their own permit in order to be a fully fledged rehabber. I sure hope someone who wants to do this as a profession could put the time in. Otherwise the person can work as a subpermittee with another (trained) rehabber. Thats not a crazy ask.

The article has comments from various rehab centers, but most of them seem to not be opposed to the rules, just to how fast they may be implemented or how strict they may become. Most of the comments seem to be about people who want to make sure the process stays accessible, not that they dont like the process.

mysterious stick appears out of thin air............

Boyfriend swears the tumblr bitches will love this so here it is

very very shaped animals. first 2 are one we had to check on an injury, other two are her siblings.

¹

in what is said to be likely either the waves of the storms the bay area has had recently, or an effort to find new territory, a coyote was spotted swimming across the san francisco bay and climbing onto the rocky shores of alcatraz. site biologists have apparently never seen this before, but are letting her stay, as there's plenty chicks, eggs, and rats to eat on site.²

[¹- video of the coyote swimming and climbing out of the water]

as of currently, there is no sign of the coyote on the island, and it hasn't been spotted since. wish her luck on her marine journeys!³

Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber), family Castoridae, Loire River, France

Northern banded newt.

Ommatotriton ophryticus, the northern banded newt, is a species of newt in the family Salamandridae. It is found in northeastern Turkey and western Caucasus in Georgia, Armenia, and southern Russia.

No, you don't want that otter. No, that is not a pet. No, that up close encounter where you can pay to cuddle with an otter is probably not ethical. No, I'm pretty sure that channel with a guy and his pet otters is not a legitimate "animal rescue", stop recommending it to me.

Yes, the otter is cute. Please admire them either from a distance, or behind a barrier at an accredited facility. Thank you.

If you want a pet, you want a domesticated species. If you want a domesticated mustelid (the family otters belongs to), we have one: it's called a "ferret"

All of the issues of supporting less ethical encounters and driving the illegal pet trade aside (other people already covered them, yay), have you seen those teeth? The ones that rip through fish like butter?

North American River Otter (The Des Moines Register)

Asian Small-Clawed Otter (Knockhatch Adventure Park)

Do you want wet slippery stinky chaos gremlins with those teeth anywhere near your soft fleshy parts? No. No you do not.

People get bitten by wild otters and it is a big enough deal to make the media when it happens! There’s a bunch of examples of serious bites at this link. They mostly avoid people but when they feel threatened they can fuck you up.

Seriously. There is a reason that people who work with otters, professionally in credible zoos and aquariums are the least likely people you will see reaching in to sneak a skritch. They only contact their otters in heavily trained situations using very thoroughly positively reinforced tactile cues.

hello! i am a wildlife rehabber & educator in the state of california. today, i am driving a non releasable bobcat 5.4 hours south to his permanent home at another wildlife center. this is the second bobcat we have had like this in the last 6 months. not counting before that, and not counting previous residents.

at my other center, over the years, we have had no less than 7 habituated ex-'pet' coyotes, and 10 or more habituated foxes, both from backyard feeding & illegal keeping.

these animals have been surrendered, abandoned, or seized by fish and willdife. i have 6 years of experience working with them. the treatment of wild animals as pets and at bad facilities sickens me because of how badly it affects how visitors view our animals.

did you know there was an increase in illegal trade of endangered slow loris species after a video of one being pet went viral?

FYI, the link above goes to the livestream, but you can do a search of their YT channel itself (not the main YT search) to find segments of video with additional info -- plug "Kakapo Cam" into the search field.