Every trained Wildlife First Responder becomes a lifeline for wildlife in their community.

The Wildlife First Responder Training course is a practical wildlife rescue training program designed to teach members of the public what to do when they encounter injured, orphaned, or distressed wildlife and how to assist and educate their communities when wildlife are in crisis.

Every year, thousands of wild animals die in South Africa not from their injuries but from well-meaning human intervention. People want to help wildlife, but without the right knowledge they often unintentionally cause harm that could have been prevented.

The Wild Ways Certified Online Wildlife Rescue Course teaches safe, ethical wildlife response and equips you with the knowledge needed to educate the public, assess wildlife emergencies and ensure animals needing care reach the appropriate permitted rehabilitation centres.

Why Do We Need Trained Wildlife First Responders?

Most people are unaware that wildlife hide their pain and that stress can kill a wild animal far quicker than an injury. Without training people often try to help in ways that unintentionally harm wildlife. Many animals rescued by the public are actually healthy babies that were never orphaned.

When people find injured wildlife, the most common question is: “What can I feed it?”

Without proper wildlife rescue knowledge, people may:

• Remove healthy babies that are not actually orphaned
• Feed animals or give them water, which often kills them
• Handle wildlife in ways that cause stress or fatal shock
• Keep animals overnight instead of getting them to rehabilitation centres
• Try to keep wild animals as pets until they reach maturity and become aggressive

This is often called “killing with kindness.”

With the right training, you can recognise when wildlife truly needs help and know exactly how to respond in the best interest of the animal.

What You Will Learn in This Certified Wildlife Rescue Training

• Assess wildlife situations quickly and safely
• Identify common wildlife medical emergencies
• Prevent unnecessary removal of healthy animals from nature
• Reunite healthy young wildlife with their parents
• Safely capture and contain injured wildlife
• Transport wildlife safely to permitted rehabilitation centres
• Educate the public on correct wildlife rescue protocols

By completing this course, you become part of a growing network of trained Wildlife First Responders supporting permitted rescue centres and helping members of the public respond safely when wildlife are in crisis.

Course Curriculum

Each section includes a quiz before moving on to the next section.
Once all sections are complete you will be able to download your Certificate .

• Introduction to Wildlife Rescue
• Ethical Considerations, Permits & Protocols
• How to Recognise a True Emergency
• In Case of Emergency
• Educating & Assisting the Public
• Common Mitigation Situations
• Mitigating Baby Birds & Mammals
• Substitute Nests & Dens
• Critical Wildlife Health Conditions
• Common Medical Emergencies
• Wildlife Rescue Essentials
• Capturing and Handling Wildlife
• Transporting Wildlife
• Resources & Downloads
• Continued Learning Opportunities
• Join the Wild Ways First Responder Network
• Download your Certificate

Course Standards and Guidelines

This wildlife rescue training course follows protocols aligned with the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) guidelines and best practices used by reputable wildlife rehabilitation centres.

The goal is to ensure that members of the public can assist wildlife safely, ethically, and responsibly while minimising stress and unnecessary human interference.

This course does not permit or qualify you to keep or rehabilitate wildlife without the necessary permits.

Your Instructor

Shireen Freeman
Founder – Grace Valley Wildlife Rescue & Wild Ways Learning Centre

Shireen is a wildlife rescuer, educator, and founder of Grace Valley Wildlife Rescue. She created the Wild Ways Learning Centre after seeing how many wild animals were lost due to incorrect rescue attempts and a lack of public education about wildlife first aid.

Her mission is simple: when people know better, they can do better for wildlife.

• Wildlife Rescue – Wildlife Rescue SA
• Humane Education – Institute for Humane Education

What First Responders Are Saying

“A really informative course Shireen, thank you! I learnt so much.” - Amy, Cape Town

“This Wildlife First Responder training offers practical knowledge on wildlife rescue and common medical emergencies.” - Derek, Pretoria

“Excellent course, highly recommended.” - Caitlyn, KZN

Wildlife First Responder Training FAQs

What is a Wildlife First Responder?

A Wildlife First Responder is a trained member of the public who knows how to safely assess and assist wildlife and ensure they reach permitted rehabilitation centres when needed.

Do you need veterinary training?

No. The course is designed for everyday people and focuses on safe assessment, mitigation, containment, and transport.

Is the training online?

Yes. This self-paced certified training is delivered online so you can complete it from anywhere.