New York sees rising demand for volunteer wildlife rehabilitators

NBC5News>INTODAY’SCHAMPLAINCONNECTION,WE’REHIGHLIGHTINGTHEGROWINGNEEDFORVOLUNTEERWILDLIFEREHABILITATORSINNEWYORKSTATE.STATEOFFICIALSTOLDOURNEWSPARTNERSATTHEALBANYTIMESUNIONTHATEVENTHOUGHMOREPEOPLEARESIGNINGUP,THEWORKLOADPERVOLUNTEERISN’TGETTINGLIGHTER.IN20-19,NEWYORKHADJUSTOVER14-HUNDREDWILDLIFEREHABILITATORS.NOW,MORETHAN22-HUNDREDPEOPLEHAVETHEIRLICENSES.OFFICIALSSAYMOREPEOPLEARENOWAWAREOFTHEREHABILITATORS...WHICHHASLEDTOADRASTICINCREASEINDEMAND.INNEWYORK,ALICENSEDWILDLIFEREHABILITATORCANCAREFORMOSTINJURED,SICKORORPHANEDWILDANIMALS,WITHTHEEXCEPTIONOFCERTAINONESLIKEMOOSE,BEARSANDWHITE-TAILEDDEER.THOSEREQUIREADDITIONALLICENSES.THEYALSONEEDTOPASSASTATEEXAMWITHASCOREOFATLEAST80-PERCENT.THENEWYORKDEPARTMENTOFENVIRONMENTALCONSERVATIONSAYS,THEWORKCANBELONG,GRUELINGANDCOSTLYFORAROLETHATISSTRICTLYVOLUNTARY.STATELAWPROHIBITSWILDLIFEREHABILITATORSFROMBEINGPAID…THOUGHTHEYCANACCEPTDONATIONS.ANDTHENEWYORKSTATEWIL