Assessor Resource

ACMCAN307A
Rehabilitate native wildlife

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: March 2024


The unit is applicable to wildlife animal keepers or carers working in wildlife animal shelters or parks, either on a paid or voluntary basis.

In addition to legal and ethical responsibilities, all units of competency in the ACM10 Animal Care and Management Training Package have the requirement for animals to be handled gently and calmly. The individual is required to exhibit appropriate care for animals so that stress and discomfort is minimised.

This unit of competency covers the process of providing immediate care for rescued native wildlife and rehabilitating animals.

Licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements may apply to this unit. Therefore, it will be necessary to check with the relevant state or territory regulators for current licensing, legislative or regulatory requirements before undertaking this unit.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.




Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

The evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy all of the requirements of the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge and the range statement of this unit. Assessors should ensure that candidates can:

identify and handle native wildlife correctly and humanely

provide care for rescued native animals

develop and implement rehabilitation programs for native animals in consultation with relevant people and organisations

prepare animals for post-rehabilitation life

maintain accurate records.

The skills and knowledge required to rehabilitate native wildlife must be transferable to a range of work environments and contexts and include the ability to deal with unplanned events.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment of this unit is to be practical in nature and will be most appropriately assessed in a captive animal workplace or an environment that reproduces normal work conditions.

There must be access in either situation to rescued native wildlife requiring rehabilitation as well as the appropriate equipment and/or resources to enable one to demonstrate competence.

Method of assessment

To ensure consistency in one's performance, competency should be demonstrated, to industry defined standards, on more than one occasion over a period of time in order to cover a variety of circumstances and where possible, over a number of assessment activities.

The assessment strategy must include practical skills assessment. Suggested strategies for this unit are:

written and/or oral assessment of candidate's required knowledge

observed, documented and first-hand testimonial evidence of candidate's application of practical tasks

simulation exercises that reproduce normal work conditions

third-party evidence

workplace documentation

portfolio.

This unit may be assessed in a holistic way with other units of competency relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role.

Guidance information for assessment

Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy and numeracy demands) and the needs of particular target groups (e.g. people with disabilities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women, people with a language background other than English, youth and people from low socioeconomic backgrounds).


Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)


Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

complete animal husbandry tasks as required

develop and follow animal rehabilitation procedures in consultation with relevant people and organisations

employ safe, humane and environmentally responsible organisation systems and procedures when handling and/or working with animals

follow quarantine and disease control procedures

implement facility policies and procedures

provide basic animal first aid

undertake basic preparation for necropsy requirements

literacy skills to read and implement facility policies and procedures, including OHS and waste management; follow treatment instructions; record accurately and legibly information collected; and select and apply procedures to a range of tasks

communication skills/language to fulfil the job role as specified by the facility, including questioning techniques, active listening, asking for clarification from coordinators and/or veterinarians and consulting with coordinators and/or veterinarians

numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record basic workplace measures

interpersonal skills to work with and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds

problem-solving skills to use available resources and prioritise daily tasks

use safe manual handling techniques and/or equipment

use safe waste handling and disposal procedures.

Required knowledge

anatomical structures and physiological features of common native animals

basic animal husbandry requirements and rehabilitation procedures for common native species

natural dietary requirements for specific species

normal behaviour of native wildlife

pathogens and their potential impact on the environment

principles and objectives of animal rehabilitation programs, animal welfare and ethics

relevant facility policies and procedures, including OHS, hygiene standards and other industry guidelines

relevant legislation including state or territory wildlife Acts and codes of practice

wildlife ecology, including population dynamics, habitat selection, competition, and predator-prey interactions.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Rescued animals refers to:

native wildlife rescued from the wild:

amphibians

birds

mammals

reptiles.

OHS risks when working with animals may include:

animal bites, envenomation, kicks, scratches and crush injuries

biological hazardous waste and sharps disposal

handling of chemicals and medicines

inhalation of aerosol particles

intraocular contamination

manual handling, including carrying, lifting and shifting

needle pricks and cuts from other sharps

release of infective agents (animal and human)

slippery or uneven work surfaces

zoonoses.

Personal protective equipment may include:

animal handling gauntlets

boots

gloves

hessian bags to wrap around arm

long-sleeved and legged clothing

safety goggles.

Disease control procedures may include:

appropriate reprocessing of reusable equipment

aseptic technique

environmental controls (e.g. design and maintenance of premises and cleaning)

isolation/cohorting

personal hygiene practices especially washing and drying hands (e.g. before and after animal contact)

safe handling and disposal of sharps and other clinical, related and general waste

surface cleaning and management of blood and body fluid spills

techniques to limit contamination

use of personal protective equipment.

Initial animal emergency care may include:

clearing animal's mouth and nose to assist breathing

applying pressure bandages to stem external bleeding

supporting bandages to immobilise fractures

observing injuries

treating dehydration

providing warmth and comfort for shock.

Seriously injured may include:

bleeding

evidence of poisoning or pain

missing fur or skin

obvious head injury

paralysis

puncture wounds

seizures

visible limb or wing fractures

visible trauma and/or bruising.

Information may include:

exact location where animals were found

date and time of collection

presence of other animals

known circumstances

conditions including weather

human activities in the area.

Problems associated with animal care and orphan rearing procedures may include:

behavioural changes

changes in urine or bowel movements

feeding problems

humanisation

loss of weight

malnutrition

parasitism

poor animal husbandry practices

poor nutrition standards

stress-induced conditions

trauma.

Captive diet considerations will include:

ensure captive diet is similar to the natural diet for the species to:

minimise the impact of captivity

stimulate normal digestive function

provide suitable quantity and appropriate quality of food and water for the particular species in care to ensure:

maximum potential for healing and recovery from wounds and injuries

growth of young animals

maximum development of natural survival techniques

seek advice from knowledgeable person when caring for a species unfamiliar to the carer.

Common problems experienced by rescued animals may include:

age-related health conditions

bloat

changes in behaviour

changes in urine and bowel movements

cloacal prolapse

dehydration

discharges

feeding problems, including milk aspiration and decreased appetite

fight injuries

fur loss

general ill health

heat stress

humanisation

lethargy

loss of weight

malnutrition

parasitic burdens

stooped position

stress

trauma

zoonotic and other diseases.

Recovery procedures may include:

24-hour care for young animals

accessing veterinary care and administering medication as directed

applying relevant husbandry standards to ensure pathogens are not contracted

cleaning eyes

dressing wounds

feeding and hydrating

integrating with other same-species animals

minimising stress

providing warmth

releasing animals to the natural environment if permitted by relevant legislation

removing domestic animals from wild animals' presence.

Facilities and organisations involved in animal rehabilitation may include:

animal shelters

captive animal government bodies

fauna parks

independent bodies

volunteer groups/individuals.

Processes may include:

recording data:

animals' weight

estimated age and sex

location where found

history of animal care, if applicable

in the case of deceased animals processes may include:

following recommended industry guidelines for necropsy requirements

labelling and recording the circumstances of death.

Documentation in relation to rescued wildlife that must be maintained includes:

individual animal identification where possible

health history if applicable

reports to relevant government departments of species of threatened wildlife or unusual animals held

approval of shelter operators for any release of rehabilitated wildlife

yearly returns to relevant state or territory bodies detailing the survival of all wildlife held.

Options for release considerations may include:

animals readiness for release:

age, sex and health status of animal

ability to establish a home range

need for social interaction

availability of suitable release site

other habitat considerations (e.g. current stock density, availability of natural food and water)

practicality of releasing animals into the area where they were originally found.

suitable media

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Native animals are handled following occupational health and safety (OHS) procedures and using personal protective equipment. 
Quarantine and disease control procedures are followed in accordance with facility policies and procedures. 
Animal species are identified and initialanimal emergency care is initiated in accordance with policies and procedures. 
Animals are examined and seriously injured animals are referred to supervisors and/or taken to veterinary clinic for immediate treatment. 
Information on each animal is collected and recorded in accordance with legislative and facility policies and procedures. 
Suitable species-relevant rearing procedures are applied in accordance with industry guidelines. 
Captive diets similar to the natural diet of the relevant species are provided. 
Common problems experienced by rescued animals are identified and treated as directed by veterinarian. 
Species-specific recovery procedures are followed in accordance with relevant legislative and facility policies and procedures. 
Deceased animals required for research purposes are processed in accordance with legislative and facility policies and procedures. 
Documentation required in relation to rescued wildlife is maintained. 
Options for returning mature animals to native habitat are evaluated. 
Options for orphaned animals are evaluated. 
Hunting or foraging skills development opportunities are provided as required. 
Socialising opportunities are provided where appropriate. 
Tactics to reduce human interaction are implemented as required. 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

ACMCAN307A - Rehabilitate native wildlife
Assessment task 1: [title]

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I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

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Assessment Record Sheet

ACMCAN307A - Rehabilitate native wildlife

Student name:

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Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

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Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

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