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What To Do If You Find Injured WildlifeOver three quarters of the "orphans" brought into wildlife clinics don't need help at all. If you decide the bird or mammal needs help, here are some suggestions. Additionally, you can call 1-877-WILDHELP for crisis intervention.
Birds First, determine if the bird is truly orphaned or if it is a fledgling Most of the time, the best thing you can do for a baby bird is leave it alone. If you spot one, watch it for a while without intervening. If it appears to be unhurt, and if it's mature enough to have some feathers, it's probably a youngster learning to fly (a fledgling). At this age, birds often jump or tumble out of the nest. The mother will continue to protect and feed it on the ground for a few days while it learns to use its wings. You can help by staying away, and by keeping children and pets at a distance. If the mother doesn't appear within several hours, or if you're sure she's dead, take the following steps. A fledgling bird is learning to forage for food on its own and learning to fly, these birds are usually left to fend for themselves by the parents, but the parents will feed them occasionally. Fledgling birds often resemble smaller less colorful version of the parents. What to do with fledgling birds. If the bird is uninjured, it is best to leave it alone, if possible, because they will be cared for and watched over by its natural parent. Remember this is the time the parent birds are teaching the young bird the skills it will need as an adult. Because no human can raise a bird as well as its natural parents, it is best to leave these birds alone unless they are injured or seem to be ill. What to do with a nestling. An orphaned bird or nestling is a bird that is not meant to be outside of the nest, or in the case of ducks and geese, outside of the care of their mother. A nestling bird is usually featherless, but may be covered in soft down or newly erupting feathers covered in a sheath. If the bird is a nestling-a baby too young to have feathers-see if you can spot where it fell from. Pick it up gently and put it back in the nest. Don't worry that your scent will cause the mother to reject it: the truth is, most birds have a poor sense of smell. If the nest is out of reach, create a makeshift "nursery" out of a strawberry box, margarine tub, or similar container. Punch drainage holes in the bottom, and line it with a piece of towel. Then fasten the "nursery" to the tree, as close to the original nest as possible, and tuck the bird into it. Once you've left, the parents will reappear and begin feeding the baby, just as if it were at home. If the bird is a nestling, every attempt should be made to return it to its original nest. Contrary to popular belief, the parents will not be concerned with humane scent on the baby and reject their offspring. The parental bond in most species of birds is extremely strong, and they rarely abandon their offspring. If the nest can not be found or if the bird is injured, it should be brought to a wildlife center. The staff members of a wildlife center are specially trained in the care of all species of wildlife, and will be able to start the orphaned bird on the appropriate diet, and offer any medical care that may be needed. What do you do if the bird is injured? An injured bird will need more active help. If it's been attacked by a cat, it should always receive professional care, even if it appears unharmed. Gently pick it up in a towel, and put both bird and towel into a well-ventilated box. Prepare the box by punching holes in the sides and lining it with a soft towel or t-shirt. DO NOT USE A WIRE BIRD CAGE! Gently but firmly lift the covered bird and lower it into the box. Close the box securely! Keep the patient warm and quiet while you contact a wildlife rehabilitation clinic. Never try to feed a wounded bird. Above all, don't try to treat it yourself. Professional wildlife rehabilitators are trained and equipped to give the bird its best chance of recovery. What do you do until you are able to bring the orphaned bird to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Place the bird in a warm area, such as a box, or bowl lined with a towel, under a lamp or on a heating pad set on low. (Baby animals chill easily, and can die if left cold for extended periods of time). Oral fluids such as pedialyte or a 10% solution of warm water and table sugar can be given slowly into an opened beak with an eyedropper. If the baby is begging for food, small amount of commercial bird hand raising formula, canned dog food, fruit, earthworms, or a thin mixture of high protein baby cereal and hard boiled egg yolk, can be fed carefully, with your fingers or a cotton swab. Feed the baby until it stops begging or at least every 2 to three hours till you can bring it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator (they feed baby birds every twenty minutes throughout the day and stop feedings overnight.) Please also remember to wash your hands well, or wear gloves when handling the bird. Handling should be kept to a minimum. Remember It is illegal to keep wild birds unless you are in possession of the appropriate licenses. Rehabilitating wildlife is a complex task that should not be undertaken without proper training. There are more than 600 species of birds in North America, and they all have different dietary and husbandry needs. Unless these needs are met the birds will die.
Squirrels Young squirrels are often found after a nest has been blown down from a tree following a storm. The best thing you can do in order to reunite the young with their mother is to place the baby squirrels in a box and set the box at the base of the tree. The mother will usually retrieve the young and transport them to a safer location but only if she feels safe. Please resist the temptation to check on the baby squirrels frequently, and be sure to keep dogs, cats, and children away. It may be necessary to keep the young squirrels indoors overnight and then try reuniting them with their mother again the next day. Either way, it is always best to call your local wildlife rehabilitator for instructions and advice.
Rabbits Cottontail rabbits make their nests in small depressions in the grass. The nests are lined with fur from the mother and loosely covered with grass. They are frequently disturbed by people when they are mowing their grass or raking. In addition, dogs and cats find these nests and often kill or injure the babies. If a nest is discovered or disturbed, place the baby rabbits back in the nest and leave them there unless they are injured or if you are certain that the mother has been killed. Many people assume a mother is dead simply because they have not seen the mother return to the nest in quite some time, but this is completely normal. Female cottontails usually only come to feed their young twice a day, at dawn and dusk, because this decreases the chance of alerting predators to the nest’s location. If you are not sure if the mother is coming back to feed them, try placing a string over the nest. If the string has not moved by the following morning, the mother has not returned. Also, if the babies are cool and appear very hungry, place them in a warm, dark box with a towel, and place the box in a quiet place and contact a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. Young cottontail rabbits should only be rescued as a last resort. Baby rabbits have a high death rate when hand-raised, due in great part to the stress of handling by humans. People are NOT doing the babies any favors by attempting to raise them themselves. It usually only ends in sadness and frustration. Again, they need special diets, care, and antibiotics if they are to have any chance at survival. Also, when baby rabbits are about 5 inches long, they are totally on their own and away from their mother. These rabbits do not need to be taken in unless they are injured. A good rule of thumb is, if you can’t catch a rabbit without a chase, then he or she does NOT need to be rescued!
Wild Mammals If you come across any wild mammal babies, you first want to check the area for other babies and any parent animals. If you don't see any other animals in sight, check to see if the baby is cold to the touch and responsive. If the animal is cold or non-responsive to touch, it needs to get warmed up. If the animals is not cold, you can place it in a box with a towel to keep it warm. Place it in the area you found it and leave the area. Try to watch the area for the next 2-3 hours to see if the mother comes back for it. Sometimes if the baby gets hungry enough, it will start crying and the mother will return. May sure the area you leave the baby is secure enough while you are gone. If no mother returns within 2-3 hours, then depending on the age of the baby and situation, it may be able to stay out longer or may need to come in and be sent to a rehabber. You should contact a rehabber to further consult at this point. If the animal is cold when you initailly pick it up, then you should bring it in and warm it up with a hot water bottle or heating pad on low. You never want to feed or give animals that are cold, water or food. Trying to feed injured or cold animals can cause more stress and kill them. Do not handle the animals anymore than you need to. Handling them is not only stressful to the animals, but if they have external parasites on them, it can transfer to you. ALWAYS wear gloves when handling anything. Contact a rehabber as soon as possible. Until you get in touch with a rehabber, the only safe thing to do is keep the animal quiet and warm.
Learn more: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/advice4.htm http://www.wildanimalrehab.com/info.html http://www.fallenfeathers.org/found.html http://www.nj-ara.org/WildlifeBehaviorTips.pdf
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