Species Care level 2:
This was a very interesting course and I enjoyed every moment working and taking care of the animals in the Wilflife centre. I’ve learned a lot about how to work with animals and the importance of always follow the rules when working with dangerous animals.
I also did a lot of Night Duties at the Wilflife centre where I had to take care of small, injured and sick animals during the night and early in the mornings. I learned a lot also during night duties and that’s why I enjoyed night duties also a lot.
The following is what I’ve learned during the four and a half weeks at the Wilflife centre according to the Modules I did:
Assist with the Selecting, Preparing and Providing of Food:
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| Biorem isa Probiotic used for treatment of diarrhoea. |
The chemical composition of food:
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| Is a tasty and accepted nutritional supplement supplying vitamins, minerals, trace elements and amino acid s to supplement the normal diet of dogs puppies, cats and kittens as well as other pets like birds and hamsters. |
Ø Animal nutrition and the functions of nutrients.
Ø Water as a nutrient and functions of water.
How to apply the correct feeding practises:
Ø Identify feed type correctly.
Ø Nutrients: component of the feed that gives nourishment to the animal.
Ø Ration: livestock feed consisting out of a mixture of ingredients.
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| A probiotic that will not only boost the immune system and protect against illness, but it will also aid in the recovery and prevention of diarrhoea. |
Water requirements:
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| Puts back the nutrients lost during the freezing process of meat. |
Ø Important 2 concepts of water : water quality and quantity.
How to maintain feed quality.
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Feed quality:
Ø Quality if feed.
Ø Problems that can occur when feed intake is very badly affected.
Ø The importance to do routine checks in order to prevent problems.
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| Correct storing in fridge: Mill products on same shelve. Fruits on own shelve. And eggs on own shelve. In order to prevent cross- contamination. |
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| Correct storing in freezer: Carcasses on one shelve. Chickens op own shelve. |
Ø Problems that can occur concerning a feed store.
Ø What to do to ensure proper storage of feeds.
Ø The first in first out procedures.
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| Chickens on own shelve in fridge. |
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| Un Slaughtered carcasses on floor of fridge |
How to observe and report on feed quality:
Ø The best way to assess if there is any spoilage in feed stuffs is to use the sense of smell, taste, touch and sight.
Ø How to identify spoilage in feed.
What contaminants in feed are:
Ø Physical contaminants.
Ø Micro-biological contaminants.
How to apply feed level control and record keeping:
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| Dry food are stored in sealed, labeled containers. to prevent cross contamination and to prevent food spoilage. |
Ø Step 2: Packaging.
Ø Step 3: Transport.
Ø Step 4: Storage.
Ø Step 5: Record keeping.
Ø Step 6: Placement of feed.
Ø Step 7: Fire, rodent and insect control.
Ø Step 8: Theft.
Important records that needs to be kept.
What losses can be suffered if feed is not correctly stored:
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| Cutting up meat for carnivores: Using the meat knives and red meat cutting board, to prevent cross contamination Also use the scale to weigh off the correct amount of meat each animal must get in order to prevent malnutrition or obesity for animals . |
Ø Quantity.
Waste management:
Ø Landfill.
Ø Incineration.
Ø Biological reprocessing.
How to exhibit hygienic and safe practices in selecting, providing, preparing and storing of food:
Ø Labelling.
Ø Storage.
Ø Sanitation and pest control.
Ø Meat items.
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| As seen on the photo this is the carnivore board used to indicate what animal gets what type of food, how the foot must be portioned and the amount of the food for the animal. Every animal have their own bowl . |
How to maintain regimes and methods:
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| Feeding Njalas Boskos |
Ø Nan.
Ø Pronutro.
Ø Esbilac.
Ø Milton.
Ø Predator Powder.
Ø Boskos.
Ø Food and water troughs.
Ø Food and water provision.
Ø Diet evaluation for animals.
Ø Diet implementation.
Ø Diet update.
Cleaning in Area of responsibility:
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| Cleaning detergents used to clean animal cages, preparation areas and feeding bowls of animals. |
Ø Reasons for cleaning.
Ø Sterilization.
Ø Disinfectant.
Ø Antiseptic.
Ø Detergent.
Ø Factors including cleaning procedures.
Ø Groups of disinfectants.
Observe Safety regulations:
Ø Toxicity of disinfectants used on farm.
Ø The importance of always reading the label on chemicals and follow the instructions.
Ø Chemical Potential Health effects.
Ø Protecting disinfectant users against poisoning.
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| Cleaning fruit preparation equipment with the white sponge only in order to prevent cross contamination. |
Ø Clean in place systems.
Ø Mist spraying.
Ø Fogging.
Ø Manual disinfections and mopping.
Storage of chemicals:
Ø Positioning and chemical store on farm.
Ø Requirements for floor construction of chemical stores.
Ø Requirements for wall construction of chemical stores.
Ø Requirements for roof construction of chemical stores.
Ø Requirements for doors of chemical stores.
Ø Spills handling equipment.
Cleaning and house keeping.
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| Equipment used to clean animals cages. |
Ø The importance of regular maintenance of equipment in preventing leaks or emissions of corrosive into the workplace.
Ø Item uses cleaning guidelines.
Arranging stock in a store.
Correct and efficient storage.
Ventilation.
Prevention of contamination:
Ø Stock inspection and shelf-life.
How to keep accurate records and handle stock:
Ø Stock and inputs.
Ø Classification of stock.
Ø Stock planning and record keeping.
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| Sterilizing milk bottles after washing by spraying the bottles with SOS. |
Ø A dedicated person called a store man or stock controller usually does this task.
Ø Receiving must be maintained and controlled for a lot of reasons.
Ø How orders work like.
Ø How stock sheets work like.
Care for animals within area of
Responsibility:
Classification of living organisms:
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| Feeding the Giraffe by standing on stalation to make the feeding process easier for the giraffe. |
o Kingdom.
o Sub-kingdom.
o Phylum.
o Sub phylum.
o Class.
o Order.
o Family.
o Genus.
o Species.
The kingdom Animalia- the multicellular animals:
Ø The major PHYLA of the Animalia Kingdom are:
o Porifera (for example sponges)
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| Taking care of the Mongoose that arrived at the Wildlife center, to make her tame and to calm her down. |
o Ctenophora (for example aquatic sea walnuts)
o Platyhelminthes (for example tapeworms and liver flukes)
o Aschelminthes (for example roundworms)
o Annelida (for example earthworms)
o Mollusca (for example snails)
o Arthropoda (for example insects, ticks and spiders)
o Echinodermata (for example starfishes)
o Chordata (animals with a backbone e.g goats, sheep, elephants, dogs)
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| Taking care of fruit-eater birds in the aivery by cutting the fruits in small pieces to make it easy to eat for the birds. |
Ø The Genus and then Species names are those most commonly used when identifying an animal.
Ø The scientific classification systems generally uses the external anatomy and morphology of the animals to differentiate between basic types of animals. Some of the anatomical features which assist in the classification of animal include:
o Whether they have a backbone.
o Whether they give birth to live young.
o Whether they suckle their young.
o What they eat, thus what type of stomach they have.
o What type of covering they have on their bodies (hair or feathers).
o What their claws, nails or hooves look like.
o What their teeth look like.
o The posture of their feet when walking.
Animal Behavior:
Ø Understand and describe behavior of specific animals:
For example:
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| Example of animal behavior: playing with a twig. |
o Exploratory behaviour.
o Hiding.
o Play.
o Grooming.
o Escape(Flight).
o Stereotype.
o Flight zone.
o Imprinting.
Ø Behaviour at various stages of life.
Ø There are two methods that animals use to protect themselves: Flight or fight. Much defensive behaviour resolves around the following anatomical features of animals:
o Horns.
o Stings.
o Fangs.
o Teeth.
o Shells.
o Hooves.
o Size.
Ø Symptoms of defensive behavior:
o Temporary enlargement of body size (raises its hair to look bigger or puffs out its feathers to look bigger).
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| Feeding Lions in separate cages to put less stress on them and to prevent them from fighting for food and to prevent malnutrition. |
o Fainting- some animals act as if they are dead to avoid a predator (for example the Cape cobra, some rock pigeons and some chickens).
o Colour changing : animal camouflages itself to avoid a predator (for example a chameleon).
o Covering- the porcupine’s display causes it spiny quills to rise up and cover its head.
o Temporary shielding itself in a tight ball, for example the pangolin or a hedgehog.
Management protocol for relevant animals tp minimise defensive behaviour:
Ø General principle when handling animals:
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| Always make sure that the animal notice you before entering the cage of the animal to prevent the animal from stressing or get scared. Because you can also get hurt in the process. |
o Sounds and noise should be limited, especially with single animals.
o Animals should always be talked to first, to make them aware of your presence.
o Any act or movement should be performed slowly.
o See to it that the best aids are at hand (animal handling equipment and protective clothing).
o Use the most suitable facilities available.
Ø Factors influencing the approach in animals:
o Kind of animal.
o Sex.
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| Because this animal is injured , this animal will behave very scared and stressed. Always be calmed around the injured animals to prevent even more stress on the animals. |
o Breed.
o Age.
o Tame or untamed animals.
Ø The flight zone of an animal.
Ø How to reduce defensive behaviour.
Ø Possible response to defensive behaviour.
Ø Example of abnormal behaviour:
o Pacing and route tracing.
o Rocking, swaying and weaving.
o Rubbing.
o Pawing or stall kicking.
o Head-shaking and nodding.
o Eye-rolling.
o Sham-chewing.
o Licking or crib wetting.
o Drinker pressing.
o Feather pecking.
Ø The ways to respond to defensive behaviour.
Minimize risk when working with animals:
Ø Some diseases to note when working with animals:
o Rabies.
o Zoonotic diseases.
o Tetanus.
General principles in handling of animals.
Situations that can trigger defensive behaviour:
Ø Shouting.
Ø Stress.
Ø Beating the animals.
Ø Manipulation.
Ø Threatening the animal.
Thus, if you avoid doing these things the chance of eliciting a defensive reaction will be reduced.
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| As seen on the photo here we was busy trying to cool the baby Njala down, because her body temperature rices very high due to stress. Its very important to make as less noise possible to reduce stress on the animal. By using cold bottle waters and ice-packs we got her temperature down to normal luckily. |
The importance of the correct handling of equipment.
Dealing with problems when handling and feeding animals.
How to observe and handle animals:
Ø How to observe, record and report.
Ø Behaviour and physical attributes.
Ø Important observations that must be report.
Ø The following points can be kept in mind to observe animals for early signs of illness:
o The animals eyes- dull or sunken eyes.
o Abnormalities like dry or abnormal excretions of the nose.
o Abnormalities in the mouth like grinding teeth.
o Abnormalities in the ears and rubbing or scratching of the ears.
o Horn deformities.
o Any abnormalities in the head like swelling of the lips.
o Abnormalities of the genitals.
o Abnormalities of the anus.
o Abnormalities of the hair coat.
o Abnormalities of the legs.
o Injuries to the hooves.
o The condition of the udder of lactating farm animals is very important.
Animal behaviour and attributes regarding abnormalities. Abnormality is mostly caused by:
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| This is a enrichment project used for Muskey In this tyer we hide away his food , so that he can dig and surge for his food, just like he would in his natural environment. Its always very important to make animals cages as close as possible to their natural environment. For stimulation and to reduce stress. |
o Territory.
o Nutrition.
o The climate.
The different abnormal behaviours that night be a result of disease.
The reporting procedures of abnormal behaviour.
Facilities for the handling of animals:
Ø Bomas.
Ø Trap cages.
Perform basic procedures under full supervision:
Ø The basic procedures performed on animals.
Basic Hygiene:
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| Fountain in the aivery. This is for all the animals and birds to drink water out off and to swim in. Its also important to keep this water fountain clean to prevent animals from getting ill. |
Ø Disinfection of the operation site.
Ø Disinfection of wounds.
Ø Injections.
Ø Routes used for injections:
o Subcutaneous.
o Intramuscular.
o Intravenous.
Bio- security measures:
Ø Disease may not always be apparent, especially in its early stages.
Ø Be clean, particularly if handling animals or moving between different premises.
Care for plants within area of responsibility:
Ø What plant propagation is.
Ø The revision of plant structure.
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| Trees and branches used as resting and nesting places for birds. |
Ø Structure and function of plant stems.
Ø Structure and function of plant leaves.
Ø Leaf function.
Ø Structure and function of flowers.
Ø Structure and function of fruit.
Ø Structure and function of seed.
Ø Environmental factors that affect seed germination:
o Water
o Oxygen
o Heat
o Light
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| Grass used as shelter as well as nesting sites for birds and animals in the avery. |
Ø Factors affecting the propagation environment :
There are seven things that plants require to grow well:
o Space to grow.
o Temperature.
o Light.
o Water.
o Air.
o Nutrients.
o Time.
Ø Hygiene procedures in the propagation environment.
Ø Carry out routine propagation procedures:
o By means of seed (sexual propagation).
o Asexual propagation (vegetative propagation).
Ø Equipment to be used for vegetative propagation.
Ø Methods of vegetative propagation:
o Stem cuttings.
o Root cuttings.
o Dividing bulbs.
o Using modified plant organs.
o Hygiene and safety measures.
Ø How to handle planting material.
Ø Environmental requirements:
o Planting material.
o Selecting a site for plants or a specific plant.
o Soil.
o Topography.
o Exposure of fields to wind.
o Exposure of fields to sunlight.
o Humidity.
o Water.
o Air.
o Impact of soil preparation on yield.
Ø Planting:
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| Bali seeds that we've planted to feed the animals in the wildlife centre. |
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| 1 --> Preparing are to plant grass. |
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| 2--> Spreading the grass seeds. |
o Planting method and depth.
Ø Recognise pests, diseases and weeds on crops.
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| 3--> Covering the seeds with ground. |
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| Fertilizer used to fertilze ground. |
Classification of insects.
Ø The importance to know that not all insects are pests.
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| Bali seeds planted after a few weeks. |
Ø Insect control practice:
o Natural control.
o Physical control.
o Biological control.
o Genetic control.
o Chemical pest control.
Ø The damage insects cause:
o Biting damage.
o Sucking damage.
o Chewing damage.
o Direct damage.
o Indirect damage.
o Cosmetic damage.
Ø Insects as vectors for other pest and diseases.
Ø Plant and microbial diseases.
Ø Microbial disorder in crop plants:
o Plant diseases.
o Fungal diseases.
o The lower fungi:
· Diseases caused by lower fungi with hyphae and zoospores.
§ Fungal diseases caused by lower fungi with hyphae but without zoospores.
Ø The higher fungi:
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| Plants as aesthetic value in nature. |
o Leaf curl.
o Powdery mildew.
Ø Foliar diseases.
Ø Bacterial diseases.
Ø Plant viruses.
Ø Control of plant diseases:
o Exclusion.
o Eradication.
o Protection.
o Resistance breeding.
o Certification.
o Chemical control of fungal diseases.
Ø Scout for insects, diseases and symptoms and weeds.
Ø Monitor for pests and diseases:
o Why pests should be monitored.
o Identifying pests of crop.
o Examples of some symptoms and causal agents.
o Where the symptoms observed are primarily holes developing in leaves.
o Where primary symptoms are damage to roots and lower stem.
Ø Damage and disease symptoms on crop plants.
Ø The difference between problem insects and beneficial (predatory) insects and the impact of beneficial insects on the pest control methods.
Ø Weeds and weed management as well as weed control.
Explain basic ecological principles:
Ø What ecology is.
Ø Ecosystem.
Ø Abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) substances.
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| Carnivore: Caracle |
Ø Food web.
Ø Producers.
Ø Primary consumers.
Ø Secondary consumers.
Ø Tertiary consumers.
Ø Decomposers.
Ø Key interactions within ecological communities:
o Energy flow and trophic pyramid.
Ø Nutrient cycle.
Ø The influences of Abiotic and Biotic in an ecosystem.
Ø The law of Tolerance.
Ø Law of Minimum.
Ø Abiotic factors and their influence:
o Geomorphology.
o Macroclimate.
o Soils.
o Position in landscape.
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| Herbivore: Gems buck |
o Vegetation patterns.
o Associated animal life.
o Plant succession.
Ø The balance in nature:
o Homeostasis in ecosystems.
o Balance between plants and animals.
o Feedback mechanisms.
Ø Interaction within an ecosystem:
o Predator-Prey relationship.
Ø Boom and Bust animals.
Ø Competition amongst the species:
o Competition amongst the same specie à Intraspecific competition.
o Competition amongst different species à Interspecific competition.
o Competition for territory ensures food supplies and breeding opportunities.
Ø Symbiosis: the interactions between organisms living together in environment.
o Mutualism: in a beneficial relationship, animals depend on one another to supply food. For example Oxpeckers plucking of ticks and taking parasites out of wounds of large animals.
o Parasitism: an organism may take advantage of, or harm another organism. For example ticks on animals.
o Commensalism: animals or plants of different species may live together in the same habitat without competing each other. For example the litchen growing on a tree.
Ø Adaptations.
Ø Biodiversity.
Ø Keystone species.
Ø Dominant indicator species.
Ø Visual encounter surveys.
Ø Rapid biodiversity assessment.
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