Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 250 - Department of Environmental Management › Chapter 60 - Fish and Wildlife › Subchapter 00 - N/A › Part 1 - Rules and Regulations Governing Wildlife Rehabilitation › Section 250-RICR-60-00-1.10 - General Requirements and Special Conditions

Current through June 14, 2024
A. No
				  person shall rehabilitate, handle, possess, transport, or release for purposes
				  of rehabilitation any wildlife, except as provided in §§
										1.10(B), (E) and
				  (N) of this Part, without first obtaining a
				  Special Scientific Collector's permit for Wildlife Rehabilitation from the
				  Department.
B. Persons may
				  transport birds, reptiles, amphibians, and non-rabies vector species mammals
				  from their property or other location directly to a Rhode Island-licensed
				  wildlife rehabilitator, provided that they notify a wildlife rehabilitator at
				  the time they take possession of the animal and that if circumstances are such
				  that the animal(s) cannot be transported immediately to the wildlife
				  rehabilitator, are not to be kept in their possession for more than twenty-four
				  (24) hours.
C. Wild animals shall
				  not be transported into or out of Rhode Island without prior notification and
				  approval of the Division, or, if outside normal business hours, the DEM
				  Division of Law Enforcement, and in accordance with applicable Federal or State
				  law including, but not limited to the Federal Lacey Act, 50 C.F.R. Part
				  20.
D. Wild animals held under this
				  permit shall not be owned, offered for sale, purchased, bartered, tamed,
				  neutered, exhibited, or used for propagation purposes. Images of wild animals
				  held for wildlife rehabilitation may be used for monitoring, advertising,
				  brochures, websites, presentations, or for training purposes. Placement of
				  animals under care in settings or circumstances that are not in keeping with
				  the primary purpose of rehabilitation or may cause undue stress or harm to the
				  animals and risk to humans are prohibited. Non-releasable wild animals held for
				  educational purposes may be publicly displayed within the conditions of the
				  permittees Federal permit and/or Rhode Island Native Wild Animal
				  Importation/Possession permit.
E.
				  Licensed veterinarians who do not possess a Special Scientific Collector's
				  Permit for wildlife rehabilitation may provide emergency treatment to wild
				  animals without obtaining a Special Scientific Collector's permit, provided
				  that animal(s) that survive and need extended care are transferred to a
				  licensed wildlife rehabilitator within forty-eight (48) hours or as soon as
				  medically stable. Veterinarians may euthanize animals that are not likely to
				  survive or meet criteria for release back into the wild.
F. Obtaining a permit pursuant to these
				  Regulations does not preclude the permittees conformance with other Federal,
				  State, or local requirements for licensure certification or permits which may
				  be required.
G. A Special
				  Scientific Collectors permit to rehabilitate wildlife does not authorize the
				  practice of veterinary medicine or the treatment of domestic animals.
H. The Department reserves the right to take
				  possession of any animal held pursuant to these Regulations at any
				  time.
I. A permit issued pursuant
				  to these Regulations does not convey any authority to the permittee to possess
				  any wildlife or conduct any wildlife rehabilitation activities other than in
				  the State of Rhode Island.
J.
				  Permittees may transfer wild animals to other permittees or facilities with
				  similar authority for such species but shall not delegate to any other person
				  the authority granted by this permit.
K. No person may rehabilitate or possess,
				  handle, release or transport any species defined as "Exotic Wild Animals"
				  without prior approval of the Division, except for those species listed in
				  §
										1.10(N) of
				  this Part.
L. Unless specifically
				  authorized by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Department, a
				  Special Scientific Collector's Permit does not convey authority to rehabilitate
				  marine mammals.
M. In addition to
				  any species listed as federally Threatened or Endangered by the USFWS, the
				  following species require notification be made to the Division within
				  forty-eight (48) hours upon receipt by the permittee: beaver (
Castor
				  canadensis
), black bear (
Ursus americanus
), bobcat
				  (
Lynx rufus
), coyote (
Canis latrans
), fisher
				  (
Pekania pennanti
), river otter (
Lontra
				  canadensis
), porcupine (
Erethizon dorsatum
), and
				  white-tailed deer (
Odocoileus virginianus
). The placement,
				  care, and final disposition of these species may be determined by the
				  Department. The disposition of any Federally-listed species will be determined
				  by the USFWS.
N. A Special
				  Scientific Collector's permit is not required to rehabilitate, handle or
				  possess the following species: house mouse (
Mus musculus
),
				  Norway rat (
Rattus norvegicus
); house sparrow (
Passer
				  domesticus
), rock pigeon (
Columba livia
), and
				  European starling (
Sturnus vulgaris
).
O. Carcasses and all animal waste products
				  must be disposed of in a manner consistent with all municipal ordinances as
				  well as with all applicable State and Federal laws.
P. Nothing in these Regulations permits the
				  use of regulated medical supplies including but not limited to syringes and
				  drugs, unless in conformance with the DOH's Hypodermic Needles, Syringes, and
				  Other Such Instruments (216-RICR- 20-15-6).
Q. Nothing in these Regulations permits the
				  disposal of excess or unused needles unless in accordance with the DOH's
				  Hypodermic Needles, Syringes, and Other Such Instruments (§ 216-20-15-6.
				  3.3) and the Department's Medical Waste Regulations (Part 140-15-1 of this
				  Title).
R. Any person who fails to
				  pass the written examination for respective categories on their first attempt
				  may retake the exam no sooner than seven (7) days from the date of the first
				  (1st) attempt. Persons not achieving a passing grade
				  on the second (2nd) attempt may retake the exam no
				  sooner than fourteen (14) days following the second
				  (2nd) attempt. The required wait time for any
				  additional attempts shall be at the discretion of the Division.
S. Permittees must maintain intake forms for
				  all wildlife received. Intake forms, at a minimum, shall include: location of
				  origin of animals accepted, name, home address, and telephone number of the
				  person transporting the animal(s), date of intake, and the disposition of each
				  individual animal. Intake forms must be made available for inspection at any
				  reasonable hour by the Department upon request.
T. Permittees and sub-permittees must possess
				  at all times a current wildlife rehabilitation identification card provided by
				  the Division, when transporting or in possession of wild animals outside their
				  facility. A copy of their Special Scientific Collector's permit must be
				  displayed in a prominent location at their facility.
U. All permits expire at the end of the
				  calendar year and become invalid after the expiration date. Permits must be
				  renewed and are only valid after receipt of a completed application, and other
				  conditions as detailed in §
										1.11 of this Part.
V. Wild animals being treated shall be
				  released to the wild within forty-eight (48) hours of the subject wild
				  animal(s) meeting the IWRC's "Minimum standards for Release of Wildlife
				  Following Rehabilitation" as described in §
										7.2 of the IWRC Minimum
				  Standards for Wildlife Rehabilitation (2012), incorporated in §
										1.4(D) of
				  this Part. For white-tailed deer, all deer held in rehabilitation shall be
				  released no later than September 30 of the year received, unless prior approval
				  is received from the Division. Juvenile raccoons must be released no later than
				  October 30 of the year received, unless prior approval is received from the
				  Division. Animals may be held for longer periods (overwintered), with Division
				  approval, if seasonal conditions are such that the animal's survival after
				  release would be at risk due to such conditions.
W. Wild animals shall be released at, or as
				  close as practical to the point of origin, or in suitable habitat at another
				  location and as specified in §
										1.14(X) and
				  §
										1.14(Y) of
				  this Part. Release of animals shall be done under weather conditions and under
				  circumstances that will minimize stress to the animal.
X. No reptile, amphibian, wild turkey
				  (
Meleagris gallpavo
), or any other mammal other than bats,
				  shall be released onto any of the islands of Narragansett Bay or Block Island,
				  unless the animal(s) in question originated from that location.
Y. Landowner permission is required to
				  release wild animals onto private property. Animals shall not be released onto
				  State wildlife management areas without prior approval of the
				  Division.
Z. All methods of
				  euthanasia must comply with Rhode Island General Laws.