Current through Register Vol. 24-18, September 15, 2024
(1) A
primary permittee may import wildlife into Washington state for wildlife
rehabilitation purposes if it is legal to import that species and the primary
permittee possesses a certificate of veterinary inspection from an accredited
veterinarian licensed in the state of origin and an entry permit as required by
the Washington state department of agriculture for the animal.
(2) It is unlawful to transfer Washington
state mammals to an out-of-state rehabilitator without obtaining prior
department approval.
(3) It is
unlawful to import species in the order Cervidae or rabies vector species into
Washington state for rehabilitation purposes.
(a) Cervids are Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain
elk, mule deer, black-tailed deer, white-tailed deer, moose, and
caribou.
(b) Rabies vector species
are bat, skunk, fox, raccoon, and coyote.
(c) Wildlife rehabilitation permits may be
conditioned by the department with additional restrictions on wildlife transfer
related to a specific endorsement or current interpretations of
species-specific disease transfer.
(4) Transferring wildlife for socialization.
(a) Transferring wildlife undergoing
rehabilitation between Washington wildlife rehabilitators for the purpose of
orphan imprinting, conspecific socialization, appropriate species behavior
maintenance, prerelease condition, and/or species-specific and veterinary
medical care is permissible.
(b) No
transfer of cervids, beaver, or bats between eastern Washington (all lands
lying east of the Cascade Crest Trail and east of the Big White Salmon River in
Klickitat County) and western Washington (all lands lying west of the Cascade
Crest Trail and west of and including the Big White Salmon River in Klickitat
County).
(c) No transfer of cervids
between Washington department of fish and wildlife regions unless written
permission and conditions for the transfer are obtained from the department
prior to the transfer.
(d) No
intake/admission of cervids from outside of the Washington department of fish
and wildlife region in which the facility is located. If any cervid is brought
to a wildlife rehabilitation facility from outside that facility's Washington
department of fish and wildlife region, the animal must be
euthanized.
(e) Wildlife possessed
for rehabilitation may be transferred between Washington wildlife
rehabilitators without prior department approval if the receiving wildlife
rehabilitator is permitted to possess those species and geographic restrictions
are followed.
(5) A
violation of this section is punishable under
RCW
77.15.290, Unlawful transportation of fish or
wildlife-Penalty.
Statutory Authority:
RCW
77.12.047,
77.12.240,
77.12.467,
77.12.469, and
77.32.070. WSR 13-18-046 (Order
13-192), §
232-12-857, filed 8/30/13,
effective 9/30/13.
