Getting bitten, clawed and taloned is all in a day’s work for employees at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Wildlife Care Clinic.

But despite the battle scars gained while dealing with anxious wild animals — sometimes over 300 a year — the clinic’s employees practice safe handling and are eager to tell the public how to manage injured animals.

Jessica Franck, junior in animal ecology, has encountered her share of wounds since she began working at the clinic in September 2001.

“I can count on two hands the number of times I’ve been injured,” she said. “My last big injury was a red- tailed hawk, which hit a major blood vessel. I dripped [blood] all over the floor.”

Franck said workers are usually hurt when they become careless or when a frightened animal tries to defend itself. Many of the predatory birds become easily alarmed and can leave talon marks in staff members’ skin, even through thick leather gloves.

“[Overall,] injuries here aren’t very frequent. If someone gets injured, it’s big news,” she said.

Heather Reynolds, sophomore in animal ecology, stressed the importance of treating wild animals appropriately.

“They aren’t handled much,” she said. “It’s a respect issue. As far as I’m concerned, [an animal in the clinic] is more domesticated than in the wild, but I still have respect that it can turn on me.”

If an animal does become vicious, it is usually acting out of stress and fear. Some animals can be safely touched when they are injured or in shock but later become more resistant to handling, Franck said.

After her incident with the hawk, the initial surge of adrenaline helped her clean her wound and get the hawk back into its cage.

“I kind of caught my breath and went ahead and did it,” she said. “It’s a little nerve-wracking to handle an animal right after it’s injured you, but it’s a matter of getting back on the horse. I wouldn’t be able to do my job if I was scared of animals.”

Staffers are quick to clean up injuries but emphasize the importance of proper handling. A new employee is slowly shown the ropes, and never asked to handle an animal he or she doesn’t feel comfortable with. Franck said staffers try to make sure there is more than one person present when new animals are admitted or tricky procedures are performed.

Covering an animal’s head often helps calm it, reducing the risks of injuries. Gloves are necessary when handling most of the birds and bats, and the use of goggles is also advised.

“Animals like shore birds are attracted to shiny objects like eyes,” Franck said.

An employee’s second line of defense is immunizations. All undergraduates hired by the clinic are required to take a series of three rabies vaccinations. The shots are spread over a month and cost about $300. The animals are given medication such as penicillin to reduce the chances of infection. “People are always worried about rabies. If [animals] have some sort of virus, its usually not rabies,” Franck said.

Other viruses such as West Nile pose a more common threat. In the past, West Nile infected animals would be isolated and were handled with special gloves. The clinic also refuses to accept raccoons and skunks because they are the mammals most likely to carry infections. Strict policies are followed when dealing with used needles, broken glass, or anything else that may be contaminated, Franck said.

Another aspect of health for the clinic is the education of the public. The clinic brings long-term clinic animals such as owls and hawks to various locations, including nursing homes and malls, to educate people about living with wildlife. Despite how cute the animals may appear, staffers try to remind people to leave them alone. “If we were to pet them it’d be treating them like pets,” Reynolds said.

“They’re wild animals,” Franck said. “No matter how long they’ve been with us, they’re still wild, and they remember that even if we don’t.”

Leslie Reed, junior in animal ecology, said it is illegal in Iowa to have a wild animal as a pet without proper documentation.

Reed said if someone finds an animal that might be hurt, he or she should call the clinic or other authorities before trying to manage the situation.

Reed advised wearing heavy gloves if it becomes necessary to handle a wild animal. Using a blanket to block out light could also help decrease an animal’s stress. The animal should then be carefully scooped, either by hand or shovel, into a box or other suitable carrying case and taken to authorities as soon as possible.

In some cases animals that appear injured may actually be displaying normal behavior, Reed said.

Baby birds and rabbits often appear to be in trouble as well, but are usually fine. Reed said people sometimes think young birds have been abandoned in the nest, but that the parents are usually only gone to look for food and will return by nightfall. Rabbits display similar behavior.