Working as a Wildlife Rescue Dispatcher

Every day you learn something new as a Wildlife Rescue Dispatcher. The role involves answering many phone calls where you assist and educate the public on wildlife, arrange rescues and transports, and admit wildlife arriving at the hospital. There is never a dull moment during the summer at Wildlife Rescue! Even after four summers in this position, I continue to expand my knowledge of wildlife and encounter new, interesting situations every day! I have received a wide variety of calls concerning everything from fish to bears and many new bird species I had never heard of previously.

When I first started as a Wildlife Rescue Dispatcher CSJ in 2018, I was studying Geography and Environmental Science at the University of British Columbia. I began with minimal knowledge of birds and local wildlife, but the training and resources provided by Wildlife Rescue allowed me to quickly learn to assist callers. In this position, you are surrounded by knowledgeable staff and volunteers that are always willing to help and answer questions. It’s great to be surrounded by people who are passionate about wildlife and to have the opportunity to learn from them!

Helpline and Admissions volunteer answering calls and emails

As a Wildlife Rescue Dispatcher, it’s very rewarding to see the full picture of an animal’s rehabilitation. Starting from the phone call where someone finds an injured bird, helping them get the bird into the hospital, seeing the progress they make in care, to eventually seeing the bird leave Wildlife Rescue to be released back to the wild. Being a part of an animal’s rehabilitation and knowing you helped is an incredible feeling. It’s also very rewarding to help people in the stressful situation of finding injured or orphaned animals. People are very appreciative of the assistance we provide and it’s inspiring to see people going out of their way to help wildlife.

If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, continuously learning, and are interested in wildlife, Wildlife Rescue Dispatcher may be a great position for you! You will gain valuable skills such as time management, problem-solving, leadership, and public education all while helping wildlife.

Aiden Stephens
Wildlife Rescue Dispatcher 2018-2021

Releasing some young Glaucous-winged Gulls

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