Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

RE: Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:19:51 GMT

[quote userid="2675" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/30416/talking-point-euthanasia-for-wild-animals/239142#239142"]There used to be numerous little charities and hobby enthusiasts that could get falcons and owls paired up and survive in a good enough condition to reproduce so obviously the captive animals took to their captivity without undue stress.[/quote]

Survival and reproduction are not good measures of QOL. The five freedoms are better, if not perfect.

[quote userid="2675" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/30416/talking-point-euthanasia-for-wild-animals/239142#239142"]So when the argument is made that they’must’ be suffering just because they not in the wild, isn’t this as bad an anthropomorphism? [/quote]

The argument is obviously species specific - it may be possible to provide an adequate enclosure for breeding dormice where, IMO, doing so for a barn owl that can't fly would be impossible.

[quote userid="2675" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/30416/talking-point-euthanasia-for-wild-animals/239142#239142"]the myth of wild is good is a fantasy [/quote]

Nobody suggests 'wild' is always 'good'. There are many wild animals living in fear, distress and pain. But they are, nonetheless, wild.

[quote userid="2675" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/30416/talking-point-euthanasia-for-wild-animals/239142#239142"]No these animals would never be able to be fit for release but they just might make a small kid visiting want to devote their life to helping save the planet s and just possibly be the next Elon who might do it [/quote]

I guess it comes down to how highly you value the welfare of the individual vs the benefit to its species. I personally struggle to justify the lifelong captivity of a non-domesticated animal for the wider benefit to its species. Individuals have no concept of anything other than their own life, and the suffering from not being able to express normal behaviour can be intense. I also think the ability to now see these animals on our TV screens in their natural environment provides much better entertainment and education than seeing them huddled in the back of a cage in a zoo or rescue centre.

RE: Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

Richard Carter — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:04:39 GMT

Well once it’s filled with euthathal it is now dead so no chance of survival and it’s useless to nature because it’s going into clinical disposal.

There used to be numerous little charities and hobby enthusiasts that could get falcons and owls paired up and survive in a good enough condition to reproduce so obviously the captive animals took to their captivity without undue stress.

So when the argument is made that they’must’ be suffering just because they not in the wild, isn’t this as bad an anthropomorphism?

I had the opportunity to work at Pretoria zoo in final year and almost all their birds of prey were salvage cases after hitting cables, cars, poisonings, their big cats rescued from circus and other captive bred sources so the myth of wild is good is a fantasy

No these animals would never be able to be fit for release but they just might make a small kid visiting want to devote their life to helping save the planet s and just possibly be the next Elon who might do it

RE: Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 09:41:56 GMT

[quote userid="2675" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/30416/talking-point-euthanasia-for-wild-animals/239136#239136"]Think in our striving to be correct ( both vets and charities and government) and insisting on a ‘fit to release’ attitude we have lost countless individuals that could have gone into breeding programmes, birds of prey and owls in particular[/quote][quote userid="2675" url="~/001/nonclinical/f/life-in-practice-discussions/30416/talking-point-euthanasia-for-wild-animals/239136#239136"]It’s the same argument that is currently trying to get zoos closed down as ‘unnatural’ and ‘cruel’ and ‘against welfare’ and completely ignores the important role this plays in developing empathy and support in the public, improving the skills and knowledge by the professionals and lastly allowing individuals a chance at survival and reproduction which has basically disappeared in the natural habitat.[/quote]

But who do we actually serve by maintaining these animals in captivity? Do the animals/species themselves benefit? Is it ethical to maintain in captivity a previously wild barn owl with one wing simply to reproduce?

In my opinion, it is an exercise in human vanity and eases our conscience. Very few species can be reintroduced after captive breeding programmes.

RE: Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

Bob Russell — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 09:29:51 GMT

We would always make every effort to make sure certain species are preserved.

Small birds rarely survive even with the most experienced care so euthanasia is often the fair option.

Mother nature is harsh and we can do only so much to get wildlife back into the wild.

RE: Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 09:03:48 GMT

Richard Carter Can you expand on this Richard. Are you saying that there are a significant number of wild animals brought into practice, which are being euthanased as 'not fit for release', when actually they are fit for release?

If so, whilst important, it's not quite the point that Anna was making, which was that injured wild animals should be euthanased to reduce their suffering, and not have their lives prolonged because of pressure from rehabbers, or social media, or even, from time to time, practice staff I would imagine.

RE: Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

Richard Carter — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 08:08:13 GMT

Think in our striving to be correct ( both vets and charities and government) and insisting on a ‘fit to release’ attitude we have lost countless individuals that could have gone into breeding programmes, birds of prey and owls in particular and all the skills that had been built up over decades have now been made ‘illegal’

It’s the same argument that is currently trying to get zoos closed down as ‘unnatural’ and ‘cruel’ and ‘against welfare’ and completely ignores the important role this plays in developing empathy and support in the public, improving the skills and knowledge by the professionals and lastly allowing individuals a chance at survival and reproduction which has basically disappeared in the natural habitat.

Been to Botswana this year- there are now no rhinos left in the wild and ones left are on a game farm guarded by the army. Not on the same level as a fox or badger I agree but some thought before the blue juice should at least be possible

RE: Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 22:28:38 GMT

We release maybe 50% of hedgehogs and a few shocked birds with no obvious injuries (not that we can follow them up to estimate true success....) but 90%+ of the wildlife we see ends up PTS. I have used my captive bolt on a wide range of species........

RE: Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

Lucy Fleming — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 21:34:13 GMT

We had a slightly odd man bring us a deer with a fractured femur one evening just at closing time who got even odder when we advised that it should be euthanased - refused to leave, insisted that the deer was "his" at that point and he didn't consent to euthanasia, wanted to keep it in his own garden...a volunteer driver from our local wildlife rescue had turned up by that point who offered (out of earshot) to drive it to the centre and arrange for a vet to euthanase it there, and this guy was saying he was going to follow them there to make sure it wasn't put down...people can have strong opinions about wildlife, often driven by how photogenic they are rather than how threatened...

RE: Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

niamhjl — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 19:19:36 GMT

I have to admit that when wildlife is handed in to my practice, roughly 95% of the time it is euthanised fairly straight away, after asessment by the vet. Most of the time if it is unwell enough to be caught and handled by the public, then it is too unwell to be released, and prolonged treatment is just not fair. One exception would be hedgehogs as they are endangered and we have a number of very experienced and committed rehabbers for them that we can call on. We are in a seaside town and get a lot of injured seagulls handed in, which almost never make it out again. We don’t involve members of the public in these decisions, simply take the animal off them, thank them and say we will do what we think is best - so far we haven’t had any objections to this approach!

RE: Talking Point: Euthanasia for wild animals

Jill Butterworth — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 17:12:19 GMT

Caroline Allen, Chief Veterinary Officer of the RSPCA, made this point in a letter to the Vet Record this week: that early euthanasia is far better rather than letting wild animals languish in suboptimal conditions, and we need to work more closely with well meaning rehabbers to be sure they are in fact working to good welfare standards. Avian influenza is making this more pertinent.