Master of Wildlife Biology Student Builds Rehabilitation Skills at Nova Scotia’s Hope for Wildlife

On any given day during her internship at Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth, Nova Scotia, Master of Wildlife Biology student Katherine Hurley might be feeding orphaned baby birds, administering medication, cleaning wounds, supporting educational programming or assessing injured wildlife brought in overnight.

Hope for Wildlife is the largest wildlife rehabilitation facility in the province, taking in thousands of injured and orphaned animals every year, from turtles and snowshoe hares to bobcats and porcupines. Animals are brought in by members of the public at any hour of the day before being assessed and treated according to their needs, including through intensive care, rehabilitation, or specialized housing for orphaned animals.

Interns like Katherine rotate through different areas of the rehabilitation centre, gaining experience in animal handling, species-specific nutrition, first aid and science communication. They care for critically injured animals in the ICU, orphaned babies requiring round-the-clock feeding, wildlife preparing for release and even raccoons, which are housed separately to prevent the spread of disease. Interns also rotate through overnight intake shifts, serving as the first point of contact for injured and orphaned animals arriving after hours.

“I love rehabilitation work because of the tangible difference that I can make,” says Katherine. “You can work hands-on and see the difference you’re making for each individual animal. It doesn't always go the way you want it to, but you know you're having an impact.”

Katherine was drawn to U of G’s Master of Wildlife Biology program for its focus on hands-on learning and skill-building for a future career in rehabilitation. Before beginning her master's degree, she volunteered with a marine mammal rehabilitation organization near her home in California, but the Hope for Wildlife internship has given her the opportunity to work with a wider variety of species.

One animal that stands out for Katherine was a great horned owl who arrived emaciated, dehydrated and unable to fly. Staff suspected he may have ingested rat poison. Katherine helped care for the bird throughout his recovery, from the day he arrived until he was ready to return to the wild. She gave him medication, fed and weighed him, and kept his enclosure clean. Then, when he was ready to be released, Katherine travelled several hours to release him near the Bay of Fundy, close to where he had been found.

"I feel like I was there for every step of his journey," she says. "Anytime you're able to release an animal, that's another animal that's getting a second chance."