Wildlife Rescue Guide
Prepare Ahead
Critical thinking is easier done before an emergency rather than during, as such I like to prepare a few things in advance for whatever I may encounter...
Emergency Contacts
I add local wildlife rehabber phone numbers to my favorite contacts along with what species they treat for ease of use.
- Here's some ways to find your local rehabbers:
- Animal Help Now
- Your State's Fish And Wildlife Service
Emergency Car Kit
- Some items to include:
- ventilated cardboard box or crate to transport the animal in
- thick gloves to protect your hands!
- blanket or towel to safely capture the animal, keep it warm and secure
- visibility vest because your safety is important too!
- pliers & clippers in case it's stuck in something
- shovel to move large snapping turtles, snakes, or other critters you don't feel safe handling out of the road
Does it really need help?
Taking an animal that isn't actually in distress to a rehabber is sadly a common well intentioned mistake, particularly for young animals just learning how to fend for themselves. This not only overwhelms already understaffed rehabbers, but can disrupt healthy development, so how do you know when it truly is in need of rescue?
Bleeding or Injured
You can skip this section, it definitely needs a certified rehabber.
In the Road
Gently guide it to the side it was heading toward (and never pick an animal up by the tail). That should be all it needs.
Baby Deer
Tips of ears folding over? It hasn't been fed and cared for by the parents, call a rehabber. If the ear tips are perky and fine, parents are just out gathering food and should return.
Baby Bird
If it doesn't have feathers yet, see if you can put it back in the nest (yes, parents will come back and care for it even after being handled), if the nest has fallen or been destroyed nearby you can try rebuilding and placing in the original spot to see if the parents come back. If the parents don't return within an hour, call a rehabber.
If it has feathers, it likely is meant to be on the ground, learning to gather food. If in an unsafe location like the road, gently move it to a safe spot close enough for the parents to keep track. Make sure pets and people don't disturb further.
Window Strike
Recent studies have found that a majority of birds that seem to take a while to "recover" but eventually fly off have actually sustained internal injuries they later succumb to. It's best to take it to a rehabber if possible after seeing signs that it hit hard enough to cause disorientation (and put anti-strike stickers on your windows).
Bird Caught by a Cat
Cat saliva and bacteria is especially dangerous to birds in particular. Please get the bird to a rehabber ASAP (and give that cat a catio instead).
