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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.
 When transporting wildlife:
Birds First, determine if the bird is truly orphaned or if he is a fledgling Most of the time, the best thing you can do for a baby bird is leave him alone. If you spot one, watch him for a while without intervening. If he appears to be unhurt, and if he is mature enough to have some feathers, he is probably a youngster learning to fly (a fledgling). At this age, birds often jump or tumble out of the nest. One or both parents will continue to protect and feed him on the ground for a few days while he learns to use his wings. You can help by staying away and by keeping children and pets at a distance. If neither parent appears within several hours, or if you're sure they’re dead, take the following steps. Remember, fledglings are learning to fly and to forage for food on their own and learning basic survival skills and how to communicate properly from their parents. They spend a lot of time by themselves because the parents have to find food for all their young, but the parents do return to them regularly unless they notice a nearby potential predator — including a concerned human. Fledgling birds often resemble smaller, less colorful version of the parents and often have a stubby tail. What to do with fledgling birds. If the bird is uninjured, it is best to leave him alone because he will be cared for and watched over by his natural parent. Remember this is the time the parent birds are teaching the young bird the skills he will need as an adult. Because no human can raise a bird as well as his natural parents, it is best to leave these birds alone unless they are definitely injured or ill. What to do with a nestling. A nestling is a bird that is not meant to be outside of the nest. A nestling bird has very sparse feathering and can’t hop well. Nestlings don’t jump from their nest except in an emergency, but they sometimes fall out in high winds or storms or, in rare cases, are crowded out by their siblings. If the bird is a nestling, see if you can spot where he fell from. Pick him up gently and put him back in the nest. Don't worry that your scent will cause the mother to reject him: the truth is most birds have a poor sense of smell and recognize their babies by appearance and sounds. 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 may reappear and begin feeding the baby, just as if he were at home. The parental bond in most species of birds is extremely strong, and they rarely abandon their offspring. If the nest cannot be found, if the parents don’t return to the baby in a makeshift nest, or if the bird is injured, he 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 to do with baby ducks, geese, killdeer, etc. Some kinds of baby birds are covered with downy feathers from the time they hatch and immediately leave the nest to follow their mother. These babies occasionally get separated from their mother when crossing a road, encountering a predator or other unusual situation. These babies are “imprinted.” They know their mother by sight and call, and have a very difficult time feeding when she is not there. Rehabbers often keep track of duck, goose, and killdeer families in their area so if they are brought one of these little chicks, they can release him near a family of that species that has other babies close in age to the orphan. NEVER pick up one of these babies unless you’re absolutely certain that the mother is dead or nowhere to be found. Ducklings and chicks are exceptionally adorable, so sometimes people can’t resist the temptation to try to raise them. This virtually always ends in the baby’s death and heartbreak for the concerned people. If you can’t immediately take the bird to an appropriate family of his species, get him to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. What do you do if the bird is injured? An injured bird will need more active help. If he's been attacked by a cat, he should always receive professional care, even if he appears unharmed — cat bites are puncture wounds that infuse dangerous bacteria into the victim. Gently pick him 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 him 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 him yourself. Professional wildlife rehabilitators are trained and equipped to give the bird his best chance of recovery. What should you do until you are able to bring an orphaned bird to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator? If the bird is a nestling or very young fledgling, place him 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. But too much heat can be fatal too, so be very careful. 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. But it’s very easy to drop liquids into the bird’s trachea, which can kill him. Again, professionals have training in this. 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. Don’t use a tweezers or forceps—it’s very easy to puncture the baby’s throat. Feed the baby until he stops begging or at least every 2 to 3 hours until you can bring him to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. (they feed baby birds every twenty minutes throughout the day and stop feedings overnight.) Please remember to wash your hands well before and after feeding, or wear clean 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 favor 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, he needs to get warmed up. If the animal is not cold, you can place him in a box with a towel to keep him warm. Place him in the area you found him and leave the area. Try to watch the area for the next 2-3 hours to see if the mother comes back for him. Sometimes if the baby gets hungry enough, he will start crying and the mother will return. Make sure the area where you leave the baby is secure enough while you are gone. If the mother does not return within 2-3 hours, then depending on the situation and the age of the baby, he may be able to stay out longer or may need to come in and be sent to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. You should consult a wildlife rehabilitator at this point. If the animal is cold when you initially pick him up, then you should bring him in and warm him up with a hot water bottle or a heating pad set to low. You should never feed or give water to baby animals that are cold. 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 stressful to the animals, and can transfer any external parasites such as mites or lice to you. ALWAYS wear gloves when handling a mammal, and contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. Until you get in touch with a rehabilitator, 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.fallenfeathers.org/found.html http://www.wildwatch.org/firstaid/firstaid.htm http://www.nj-ara.org/WildlifeBehaviorTips.pdf
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