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Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program
The SeaWorld Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program has been rescuing animals for more than forty years. They have worked with local, state, and federal agencies to rescue more than 18,000 animals and are active in Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio. That is about 450 animals a year, or one to two individuals per day. They work with more than one hundred environmental organizations, some of which include the National Wildlife Federation, World Wildlife Fund, and The Nature Conservancy.

The program is dedicated to returning rehabilitated animals to the wild, and does so through a rescue, diagnosis, and treatment approach. The program is an important part of SeaWorld's commitment to research, education, and conservation. Upon rescuing the animals, SeaWorld is able to learn more about them, specifically, about their biology and ecology. Thereby, creating a cycle: once more information is known about marine mammals and birds, more can be done to better conserve them.

Threats to the Animals
Humans have caused many problems for marine mammals and birds. Threats to these animals include entanglement, harvesting, sea traffic, disease, climate change, and habitat destruction and degradation.

In 2003, Steller sea lion populations in Alaska were declining. Natural and human threats, including environmental changes, legal and illegal hunting, predation by orcas, competition with fishermen for food, and incidental catch in fisheries, were believed to be some of the contributing factors. Continued research is imperative to better understand each of these factors and prevent their negative effects in the future. Thus, a program created to aid distressed marine mammals and birds, and use rescue opportunities to gain knowledge about their biology and ecology is vital.

Animals Involved
SeaWorld rescues a variety of animals ranging from sea turtles, birds, cetaceans, sea and river otters, pinnipeds, and manatees.

Endangered Animals
Of the previous animals listed, manatees, sea turtles, and certain species of seals are on the endangered list. The brown pelican, a specific species of bird SeaWorld often rescues, was recently removed from the endangered list.

Rescue
SeaWorld Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation teams are on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and respond in cases of natural disasters or events and for those animals injured or orphaned. Upon arriving at the scene, the team assesses the situation beforetransporting the animal to SeaWorld's Animal Care facility. In a case with pinnipeds, the assessment may take minutes or hours for rescuers to determine if the animal is actually in need of assistance. Pinnipeds are then transported in cages designed to restrict the animal's movement to prevent injury, while dolphins and whales are placed in padded fiberglass transport units. However, in some situations animals, typically birds, are brought to SeaWorld by citizens, and it is not necessary for the teams to make a rescue.

Rescue Site Treatment
In certain situations, individuals may require onsite treatment. Rescue teams may take vitals which include body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate. They also administer antibiotics to increase the animal's chance of survival. Rescuers take blood samples to be immediately tested at a lab near the site. For dolphins and whales, ointment is used to prevent sunburn and drying. A large problem during rescues is overheating. Water, ice, and wet sheets and towels are all used to prevent this from occurring. It is also important for rescuers to keep water and sand out of the blowhole, nostrils, and eyes.

Diagnosis


When a rescued animal arrives at SeaWorld's Animal Care facility, veterinarians and staff are on hand to evaluate its condition. Blood, stool, and urine analyses are typical protocol and are preformed for each individual. Additionally, in cases of injury, bacterial cultures are taken from the wound, as well as suturing and x-rays, if deemed necessary. Each case is different and is specified to the needs of the animal.

Treatment
The first form of treatment used by the Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program is nourishment. Many of the stranded animals are severely dehydrated, and thirty to forty percent below a normal body weight .Some of the animals are able to eat for themselves, while others have to be tube fed a liquid diet of essential nutrients. Orphaned individuals still nursing receive formula similar to the milk composition they would receive in the wild, and may be adjusted according to the animal's needs.