Provincial Authorizations for Wildlife Custodians are issued by the Ontario
Ministry of Natural Resources. You need to contact your District MNR Office and
speak to the Wildlife in Captivity Specialist to obtain more information about
the process. OWREN does not issue Authorizations.
A list of MNR offices
can be found at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources website. Do a
Google search for MNR Ontario.
Anyone interested in becoming a provincially authorized wildlife custodian
should familiarize themselves with the legislation that governs wildlife
rehabilitation - The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act (SO 1997). Part III,
Section 44 pertains to wildlife rehabilitation. You can read or download a copy
of the Act on the web at:
http://tinyurl.com/cmfq8y
Of
interest to wildlife rehabilitators are these Regulations:
POSSESSION, BUYING AND SELLING
OF WILDLIFE - O. Reg. 666/98
WILDLIFE IN CAPTIVITY - O. Reg.
668/98
It
is strongly recommended that individuals who want to become Authorized Wildlife
Custodians or who would like to work as registered Foster Care Providers for an AWC or
just volunteer at wildlife centres, take a Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills
Training Course first. OWREN is the provincial leader in providing this
type of
specialized training through our courses designed for Ontario wildlife
rehabilitators. For more information on our training courses, just click on the
Courses/Conferences tab on the left menu bar or at the bottom of this page.
Those who successfully complete OWREN's Wildlife
Rehabilitation Basic Skills Course, and pass the written exam with a score
of 80% or better are not required to write the Ministry's Ontario Wildlife
Rehabilitation Exam (OWRE). NOTE: Simply passing the course or the
Ministry's OWRE, does not automatically confer a wildlife custodial
authorization to the individual. You must complete and submit an
application for authorization to the Ministry. Application forms are
available at your local district MNR office.
More
detailed information on getting authorized in Ontario and steps to take to
obtain your federal Migratory Birds Permit with the Canadian Wildlife
Service.....COMING SOON!
