The ownership of wildlife is vested in the state, in its sovereign capacity, for the benefit of the public.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It depends on the species
• D. It is determined by local ordinances

Answer: (A)

Wildlife is owned by the state in its sovereign capacity for the benefit of the public because wildlife is treated as a public trust resource. The state has the authority to regulate, conserve, and manage wildlife to ensure its populations are sustainable and available for everyone, not as personal property of individuals. For wildlife rehabilitators, this means the animals you care for are not your own property; you hold them under the state's authority with the goal of returning them to the wild. The other options don’t fit because ownership of wildlife is not determined by species or local ordinances; it’s a statewide principle guiding public stewardship of natural resources.