If you find an orphaned or injured while
animal, here are some tips to help until you can locate a licensed
wildlife rehabilitator. First, make sure the animal needs help.
Birds: Baby birds normally jump from the nest BEFORE
they can fly. They will have feather sticking out all over and will
sometimes look ruffled. The nest simply isn't big enough to hold all
these growing babies. So they jump to the ground and spread out with mom
and dad flying
 from baby to baby feeding them on the ground until the
rest of their feathers grow in and they learn to fly. This is a
dangerous time for baby birds, but every wild bird goes through this
phase. If you see a fluffy baby bird on the round chirping, leave it
there (or relocate it a safe distance away if it's in a danger zone).
Birds do not care if you touch their babies, so if
you've taken the bird inside while searching for help, it is OK to take
it back out to where you found it. The parents will NOT reject it
because you touched it. However, if you've had the bird inside for over
an hour, the parents may have given up on it and you may have to go
ahead and find a rehabber to finish caring for the animal.
Fawn: Does typically
have twins and sometimes triplets. Since the tiny fawn are unable
to outrun a predator, the doe will 'park' her babies in separate
locations to keep them safe. If you find a 'parked' baby curled up
peacefully, leave it alone. They can be parked for many hours.....and you
may not see the mom come back during the day to check on it. They are
moved from time to time. So if you check back the next day and the fawn is crying or is laying down flat, then you have a
fawn in need of help. A healthy fawn that is curled up
asleep in the 'fawn' position is not orphaned.
Again, if you have moved the fawn while searching for
help, put the baby back and wait til the next day to see if the baby
really needs help. Obviously, if the fawn is bleeding or has other signs
of trauma, it will need help immediately rather than waiting. Be careful
when capturing a fawn. The simple act of chasing a fawn down and
catching it can kill it with no other injuries present. Deer that have
been chased must be given specific medications within hours of the event
to try to prevent death from capture myopathy. So
try to keep the fawn as calm as possible at all times and get it to a
licensed rehabilitator immediately.
Squirrels:
Despite what some people say, mother squirrels CANNOT pick their babies up and carry them back up to
the nest in the tree. If the babies have fallen from the nest,
they need to be rescued.
Orphaned and injured wild animals:
Wild animals must
be kept in a quiet, dark place. They should be kept far away from
children, people, and other animals such as pets. Wild animals can
transmit parasites and illnesses to humans and other pets. So
care should be taken to wash your hands after touching them.
(Avoid touching them as much as possible.) Young
animals or animals in shock should have a heat source provided for them.
Put a heating pad on low under half of the carrier or box used to
contain them. The animal MUST be able to get away from the heat source if it
gets too warm for them. (Another trick is to fill a used sport's drink
or soda bottle with hot warm and place near the babies so they can
choose to move closer or away, as needed. Never use boiling water
though.)
Do not EVER feed cow's milk or human baby formula to
orphaned wild animals. These will cause health issues that will kill the animals. It is better not to
feed at all while waiting to get them to a rehabilitator, than to feed incorrectly. Transfer them to a wildlife
rehabilitator as soon as possible to get them the best care possible.
Here are some
links to help you find a wildlife rehabilitator near you.
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