NWRC Research Areas: Animal Care at NWRC
NWRC researchers and support staff strive to find science-based solutions to challenging wildlife damage management problems. Our mission is to develop new tools and techniques to resolve these problems and to maintain the quality of the environments we share with wildlife.
To meet this mission, NWRC researchers conduct both field and laboratory studies. Some of these studies involve housing wild or laboratory animals in captive settings.
Our Animal Care Unit is committed to the safe care and housing of our research animals. The Unit consists of a Supervisory Attending Veterinarian and several animal care specialists who are responsible for the feeding, cleaning, and overall health of captive animals at our facility. They are trained in laboratory animal medicine and are certified by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science.
Commitment to Animal Care
Good science and good animal care are inseparable. NWRC adheres to the Animal Welfare Act and works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Care Program to ensure the safe and humane handling and study of research animals. NWRC’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee oversees the use of animals in research and is responsible for ensuring that the facility remains in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act.
The Animal Care Unit has an extensive enrichment program designed to encourage natural and problem-solving behaviors of the animals at the facility. Unique foods, puzzles, natural materials for manipulation and nest building, and appropriate social housing ensure that the animals are not only healthy, but also remain alert and engaged with their surroundings.
Related Links
NWRC Animal Care (Publications)
Contact Us
Animal Care at NWRC
Vacant, Unit Leader
4101 LaPorte Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80521