The Wildlife Disaster Network (WDN) is an American organization focusing on aiding wild animals suffering due to natural disasters. It was created in October 2020,[2] as a partnership between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.[3] The network is made up of rehabilitation centers, veterinarians, trained animal care volunteers, wildlife biologists and ecologists.[4]
History
The WDN was modelled after the Oiled Wildlife Care Network,[4] which was started at UC Davis for rescuing birds and other marine animals from oil spills.[1] It is led by Jamie Peyton, Eric Johnson, Deana Clifford and Michael Ziccardi.[5]
In 2021, it was one of 29 recipients of a US$1,000,000 grant from the Dave and Cheryl Duffield Foundation to rescue and rehabilitate animals injured by the Caldor Fire.[6]
Work
The network operates a hotline where they receive calls from people who find injured wild animals.[7] It then requests authorization from officials to rescue the animals, who after being found are captured and transported to rescue facilities where they receive care for their injuries.[3]