Help! I Found a Wild Animal!
Found a wild animal and you're not sure how to help it? Here's what to do.
1. Assess the situation. Does this animal need my help?
Wild animals do not often need human intervention. There are only a few situations where you should actually take action when encountering wildlife. These situations might include:
-
- The animal is injured or orphaned
- There is an immediate threat to the animal’s safety (such as cars, or a cat or dog)
- The animal is becoming a nuisance, pest, or danger to humans
Injured Animals
An injured animal will make many hearts melt. But before you help an injured animal, you should make sure that it actually needs help. Otherwise, you risk doing more harm than good.
You should also always prioritize your own safety. Animals will bite when they feel threatened, and wild animals often carry diseases. If taking action poses any risk to yourself, leave it to a professional.
If you determine that intervention is necessary, your plan should always be to bring the animal to a certified Animal Rehabilitator.
The best course of action is different for every species.
Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release has information on a variety of species
Here are some guides on specific problems:
Orphaned Animals
An orphaned baby animal may not survive without human help. However, it can be difficult to tell whether an animal is actually orphaned.
A baby animal’s best chance for survival is with its mother. Make sure that an animal is actually orphaned before you take action.
National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association’s Decision Trees for orphaned animals:
Note that, as mentioned in these guides, many animals will leave their babies alone while they are doing things throughout the day. A baby animal is not necessarily orphaned just because it is alone.
NOTE: You should never attempt to raise an orphaned wild animal yourself. This is dangerous to both you and the animal, and in many places is illegal.
Nearby Threats
If an animal is in immediate danger you may need to take action to prevent immediate harm.
If it is possible to remove the threat, this is the best option. For example keep your dog or cat indoors.
If the threat is out of your control your next best option is to move the animal away from the threat.
A common example of this is turtles crossing the road. A great guide for this particular situation is this video by Snake Discovery.
If you would need to move the animal more than about a block, or you are unsure how to get it to safety, you should contact a certified Animal Rehabilitator.
Do not handle animals with your bare hands, and do not capture or trap an animal yourself if you cannot do so safely. If you can resolve the problem without handling the animal, this is always the best solution.
Nuisances
It is normal for animals to exist alongside people. However, in various situations it can become a problem, for both the humans and the animals.
If a wild animal is causing problems for you or someone you know, there are a few ways to handle this.
Animals usually become nuisances when they get into food sources, trash, gardens, or human buildings. Cutting off their access to whatever they have gotten into is the easiest way to encourage the animal to leave.
Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release and AnimalHelpNow have good advice for preventing and dealing with these situations:
If you cannot deal with the problem yourself, contact animal control or pest control. The links above have advice on selecting a pest control service.
2. Find a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
If you have determined that an animal needs your assistance, your next step is to find a Wildlife Rehabilitator who can help.
Follow this link to our page on finding a Wildlife Rehabilitator.
You should not attempt to rehabilitate injured, lost, or orphaned wildife yourself. This is dangerous to you and to the animal. It can also be highly disruptive to the ecosystem that animal is part of.
It is also illegal in many places to keep or attempt to rehabilitate wildlife without a license.
If you cannot get ahold of a wildlife rehabilitator, follow this guide by the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Assocation:
The Rehabilitator Is Not Answering, Now What?
I don't think this animal is in any immediate danger but I'm still worried!
That is understandable! Humans are naturally empathetic and we want to help. You may also feel unsure if you made the right call.
It is perfectly fine to stay and watch the animal from a distance to make sure it’s okay. You can also always call a wildlife rehabilitator to get their opinion on the situation.
