FACTS
- The National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA) members treat hundreds of thousands of animals annually; some provide this care with little or no financial support. Members provide educational programs to over eight million people each year in an effort to reduce the impact humans have on our native wildlife
- The NWRA is a unique wildlife organization because its members’ activities are focused on preserving individual wild animals, rather than preserving entire populations and their habitats.
- According to a recent membership survey, 30% of the members are veterinarians, vet students, or veterinary technicians. Other members are affiliated with humane societies or zoos, still others are educators or biologists, or members of numerous other professions.
STATS
- Approximately 64,000 birds, 39,000 mammals, and 2,300 herptiles (reptiles and amphibians) were treated by 343 NWRA survey respondents in 2007. The overall release rate for these animals was 60% for birds, 72% for mammals, and 69% for herptiles. Survey respondents also handled over 252,000 wildlife-related telephone calls, and over half provided wildlife education programs to the public, reaching an estimated 839,000 people in 2007.
- The extent of animal-related injuries is very apparent in the agricultural industry. From 3% to 40% of farm injuries have been reported to be animal-related, and animals are responsible for an estimated 40 deaths annually on farms.
- Animals directly inflicted or contributed to 375 fatal occupational injuries—1 percent of all the fatal injuries reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). BLS also estimates that, during this timespan, there were 75,000 animal-related nonfatal cases in the private sector of the economy.
- These 75,000 cases account for 0.6 percent of all nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving 1 or more days away from work to recuperate.
- For Ontario workers, motor vehicle incidents account for more than 38 percent of all worker traumatic fatalities, including wildlife collisions.
- 1 .6 million deer-vehicle collisions occur each year and cause vehicle damage, injuries, and even fatalities.
- Over 300,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease from tick bites each year in the United States according to the CDC.
- Approximately 7,000 to 8,000 individuals are bitten by poisonous snakes in the U.S. each year.
- Thousands of people are stung by insects each year; 90–100 people in the United States die as a result of allergic reactions.
- Mosquitos are the deadliest creature worldwide. Killing 725,000 people a year according to Bill Gate’s website.