Carolina Wildlife Care will hold three wildlife rehabilitation training classes at the Florence County Library on Saturday, July 21^st, 2007.  Classes are designed for people interested in learning more about wildlife rehabilitation, or current wildlife rehabilitators wanting to continue their education. 

Classes are scheduled as follows:

9:00-11:30 Overview to Squirrel Care
This class details both the feeding techniques and the different stages of development for SC’s most common tree squirrel, the eastern gray squirrel.  Discussion includes squirrel anatomy, the importance of appropriate housing, diet and nutrition and more.   Frequently occurring problems and illnesses for squirrels both in captivity and in the wild are examined and appropriate ways to deal with them are addressed. The class also briefly examines the importance of squirrels to the environment and how to deal with some of the "nuisance" issues associated with them.

12:00-2:30 Care of the Awesome Opossum
Learn to rehabilitate North America's only marsupial the Virginia Opossum. This wonderful class takes you step by step through the tube feeding process for infants and reviews the most common orphan care problems and their solutions including dehydration, bloat, and diarrhea. The nutritional needs of adult opossums and the diseases resulting from an improper diet are also addressed. Preparing for release, release criteria and selecting a release site are other topics of discussion. The class will address the importance of opossums to the environment and how to deal with some of the most frequently occurring public concerns with them.

3:00-5:00 Rehabilitating the Eastern Cottontail
Bunnies are some of the most delicate creatures admitted to rehabilitators. This class will take you step-by-step through bunny rehabilitation with primary focus on juvenile rabbits.  Participants will learn two different techniques for feeding young bunnies; tube feeding and syringe feeding. The anatomy and physiology of bunnies are reviewed as well as the importance of proper nutrition, lighting, and feeding schedules. The class addresses frequently occurring medical problems and concerns with bunnies and how to respond to them. Other topics covered include appropriate husbandry, introducing solids, preparing for release, and selecting the right release site.

The class registration fee is $15.00 per class, which includes class handouts and any other materials. Registration forms can be found at http://www.carolinawildlife.org/rehabilitation.htm.

Carolina Wildlife Care, located in Columbia, is a leading wildlife rehabilitation center in South Carolina providing care for injured, orphaned and displaced wildlife.  Carolina Wildlife Care works to establish harmony between humans and wildlife while instilling an appreciation for nature.

Founded in 1989, the Center has cared for more than 37,000 wild animals representing 200 species of native wildlife, including songbirds, waterfowl, small mammals, reptiles and amphibians.  CWC’s education program is designed to create an awareness of the challenges facing wildlife today and encourage changes in human behavior to minimize the harmful impact on South Carolina’s wildlife.  The Center not only educates the public to care about wildlife, but also trains other wildlife and animal care professionals on providing rehabilitation for wildlife in need.  For additional information about Carolina Wildlife Care, volunteer or wildlife rehabilitator opportunities, or to make a donation, visit the CWC website at www.carolinawildlife.org or call (803) 772-3994.