Recently rescued Eastern Cottontail (image courtesy Georgia Wildlife Rescue Association)
When orphaned or injured animals need help, wildlife rehabilitators are called on. Volunteers, they have to be trained and licensed by the state, and many have either retired or can’t afford to keep doing it.
Chet Powell with the Georgia Wildlife Rescue Association says they are planning to open three regional rescue centers in North, Middle and South Georgia.
“There’s lots of people who are interested in doing it. They just need that training. So, we will offer training using people who’ve been doing it for years. We’re going to have a good training curriculum and a program to hopefully have a next generation of these people ready to go.”
Powell says spring and summer are peak seasons for rescues when animals are mating and giving birth.
