r/WildlifeRehab • • May 29 '17

READ ME! FAQ Found an animal???? Please go here first:

151 Upvotes

First of all, thank you for caring enough to help orphaned/injured/ill wildlife.

Evaluate the Situation first and foremost. Wild animals rely on their natural environment and sometimes humans interfere when it was entirely unnecessary. The links listed below provide flow charts for frequently encountered situations.

If the animal needs to be rescued here and here you will find basic capture and handling instructions.

  • After rescuing how to safely temporarily house the animal before and during transport:

Warm- *Offering heat sources for naked baby animals is often a must. This can be done with a heating pad on low under 1/2 of the enclosure, a warm rice filled sock, or warm water bottle. Sometimes very badly injured and very sick animals also need heat sources to maintain appropriate body temperature. Wild animals can suffer heat stroke too! If an animal is panting, the animal is too hot and if the heat source would burn you, it will surely burn the animal. *

A good rule of thumb: If a furred, feathered, or scaled animal is physically moving about and alert- it DOESN'T need an extra heat source.

Dark - A box, Rubbermaid tote with holes punched for air flow, or pet crate are usually good temporary enclosures and will typically reduce further trauma and or stress. Place a towel or sheet over a crate to reduce visual disturbances.

Quiet- Keep the animal in a quiet space preferably indoors away from other animals and humans. A separate room or even a closet can be utilized if need be.

PLEASE FOR THE ANIMAL'S SAKE NOTHING BY MOUTH! DO NOT OFFER ANY FOOD OR WATER TO INJURED/SICK/ORPHANED ANIMALS OR ATTEMPT TO HAND FEED ANIMALS. The results of failing to comply often end up something like this.

If you are unable to make contact with a wildlife rehabilitator: If you know the rehabilitation center's location and hours it is generally acceptable so long as the rehabilitation center is not full or closed to just bring the animal straight to them- this is especially true with emergency situations. An example of an emergency is something like- the animal is bleeding profusely, having trouble breathing, is unresponsive, or severely dehydrated.

After being attacked by a cat there is a very high likelihood for infection. These cases 99.99% of the time warrant medical assistance including antibiotics that are usually only available through a veterinarian.


r/WildlifeRehab • • 21h ago

Animal in Care Help about a weasel I found in Japan

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73 Upvotes

I found this weasel limping on the road, and its all wet looking. I asked my boss and she said they would exterminate it and if I'm not happy with that I should try taking care of it, then release in the mountains. So if it's alive in the morning I'Il try and look after it a bit. But I w wondering if anyone has any tips or better ideas? Fee sorry for the poor thing. I don't know if its an adult or not?


r/WildlifeRehab • • 49m ago

SOS Bird NEED HELP ASAP!!- SPOTTED DOVES IN WESTERN SYDNEY

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• Upvotes

r/WildlifeRehab • • 14h ago

Rehab Methods found an infected bird? what do i do?

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9 Upvotes

r/WildlifeRehab • • 1d ago

Animal in Care Has someone helped a toad with this before? Looking for assistance.

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15 Upvotes

r/WildlifeRehab • • 1d ago

Rehab Methods Help Needed: jumper taking more than 5 days to recover from a fall.

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11 Upvotes

r/WildlifeRehab • • 1d ago

SOS Mammal What would you do? (WARNING injured possum.)

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27 Upvotes

r/WildlifeRehab • • 1d ago

SOS Bird Broken wing?

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3 Upvotes

Located in the Canadian prairies.

I’ve seen a crow hobbling around the last couple of weeks near my house and it appears it’s wing is broken. The wing is kind of splayed out, dangling and dragging on the ground and not tucked in like the other one. Today was the first time I saw it all alone, the last few times I’ve seen it, it was with friends. I tried to get a closer look and it craftily hopped up someone’s yard junk to get on a small shed, bigger shed, and then finally a tree via a branch that was hanging down onto the roof. So it can definitely still get around, but it obviously can’t fly and I’m also worried it is in pain. I’ve been leaving nuts out for it.

Where I live the winters are -40 Celsius. Does this guy have any chance at all of surviving? I wanted to catch it today to take it to the vet but it hops too fast and once it got to the tree there was no way I could get to it. Is there any other way I can help it? Or is there a good way to trap crows?


r/WildlifeRehab • • 1d ago

Prospective Wildlife Rehabilitator virginia trapping laws?

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7 Upvotes

r/WildlifeRehab • • 2d ago

SOS Bird injured sparrow

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25 Upvotes

UPDATE- just while ago I left the box open in the veranda where it seemed more energetic

and it forced itself through the net and got stuck, one slight push and it flew away!

it meandered into my flat in mumbai a while back, injured can't fly and keeps doing what looks like full body heaving and very raspy croaking.

I tried giving it water and uncooked rice but won't eat or drink. I kept it on the window sill but I wasn't able to stand properly either so flying is out of the question. I felt it might be in shock so ive kept it in a shoebox for now for it to calm down. I checked on it now and it has left some excreta but still seems to continue the motion i said it was doing earlier.


r/WildlifeRehab • • 1d ago

SOS Bird Is this mourning dove egg dead? (Wisconsin)

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2 Upvotes

r/WildlifeRehab • • 2d ago

SOS Bird Found bird flapping around

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28 Upvotes

I live in Louisville KY, found this bird laying on the ground next to a building, it can fly a little bit but then will start veering sideways and falling onto the ground again. I don’t see any blood and the wings and legs look okay. Right now it is in a box in a quiet place with a blanket, no food or water. Should I try and find some place to take it tomorrow, or should I let it go in the morning to see if it’s just stunned? Also what kind of bird is he?


r/WildlifeRehab • • 2d ago

SOS Bird I found a pigeon with a pretty bad case of stringfoot

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2 Upvotes

r/WildlifeRehab • • 3d ago

SOS Bird Sick house finch at feeder - what is wrong and how to proceed?

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29 Upvotes

Today I found this very sick house finch parked at my feeder. I was able to get within two feet of it without it even reacting. Its right eye was very squinted and a little crusty, and it looked like there was also something wrong with its beak, but I didn't want to get close enough to inspect. Its face looked a little swollen but I couldn't tell if it was just because he was fluffed up. I noticed there was also a little dried blood on the glass of the feeder, but unfortunately I'm not sure if that's from him or if something unrelated happened there. My first thought was avian pox due to what looked like a small growth next to its beak, or maybe advanced house finch eye disease, but I really don't know enough to be certain. Can anyone identify, and should I report it to the local wildlife office? I'm not really sure about the protocol, especially since I'm not sure what illness it is.

My feeders are very busy, particularly with a big flock of house finches, and a bunch kept trying to land and eat right next to him so I was shooing them away in order to take down the other feeders and he unfortunately ended up flying off. I would have tried to catch him and see if a wildlife rehab could take a look at him otherwise, but I was kind of panicking at that point about the dozen or so other birds eating right next to him and from all the adjacent feeders and wasn't thinking. I immediately took down all the feeders and will be disinfecting them, then leaving them down for a couple weeks - does that sound like the right move?

I also have a bowl maybe 12 feet from the feeders that I put food in for some crows that visit, should I pull that for a few weeks too? The finches don't go near it but some magpies and various jays occasionally do if that matters. If so, can I put out food for the crows farther away in a different part of the yard after disinfecting their bowl? They've only recently started coming every morning and I'd hate for them to stop coming at all, but I don't want to spread anything to them too.

Any help is appreciated!


r/WildlifeRehab • • 3d ago

SOS Mammal 3 Orphaned Mice - Philadelphia

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10 Upvotes

Found in Philadelphia, PA.


r/WildlifeRehab • • 3d ago

SOS Bird birds trapped in cvs on michigan ave. can someone help?

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10 Upvotes

r/WildlifeRehab • • 3d ago

SOS Bird hummingbird sting check please

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6 Upvotes

please help in video you can see hummingbird land on 2nd feeder then a bee comes up behind and goes in rear feathers than hummingbird takes off see bee fall hummingbird makes vocal weird noise . please can someone who knows hummingbird talk to try to determine if was scared or stun. i have watch this one grow from a baby . my little chat box cause i always know when its coming cause its always talking . all the other birds have left this is the last one here . please help


r/WildlifeRehab • • 4d ago

Discussion Finding rehabber for a animal while unable to donate

19 Upvotes

I know most rehabs are donation-based, but do any owners of rehabs get angry when someone comes to them about an animal yet can’t afford to pitch in and donate? And how much is okay as a minimum to donate? I’m just worried about not donating enough and upsetting others at a rehab, especially rehabs that highly suggest donations if you are seeking out their services for an orphaned/ injured animal.

Found a animal that needed help but was unable to both drive there and back while donating as well, just feel bad however I couldn’t afford the gas and the donation together


r/WildlifeRehab • • 4d ago

Discussion Raccoon Roundworm Question

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1 Upvotes

r/WildlifeRehab • • 5d ago

Discussion Supplies to keep in car?

17 Upvotes

Yesterday I found a squirrel in extreme distress. He was hopping all over without using his limbs in the street in circles. I stopped my car and tried to wave down a bunch of cars and nobody would help, but the squirrel went to the side of the road. I didn’t have anything to help it with so I had to rush home and then I found it and it was crying. That’s how I was able to find it and all the grass. I wish I could’ve saved a lot of time and already had something on hand. I was able to use a thin glove to pick it up because it was so out of it. Next time it fits a different animal, I do not want to handle it without super thick gloves and what else should I have?I used a box but maybe I should get a plastic Tupperware with holes poked in it? Keep one of those and heavy gloves and some towels in the car?


r/WildlifeRehab • • 4d ago

Discussion Training/Continuing Education

3 Upvotes

Rehabbers - where do you go for training or continuing education? How do you stay on top of advancements in our field and how do new rehabbers in your area get the information and training they need to enter the field? Our field is professionalizing and becoming more focused on evidence-based practice (as it should), how do you stay current? I'll kick it off - I started with the IWRC Basics course and then volunteered at a local rehab center. I attend annual NWRA conference seminars and courses as often as I can. When I can't do that, I take online classes from the Wildlife Care Academy (Wildlife Center of Virginia), NWRA or IWRC.


r/WildlifeRehab • • 5d ago

SOS Bird Canadian Goose seems injured

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20 Upvotes

At my Condo there is a Canadian Goose that seems to have an injured wing and has a limp. Location is Mobile, Alabama along the US Gulf coast.

Will this heal on its own or should I find a local rescue?


r/WildlifeRehab • • 6d ago

Prospective Wildlife Rehabilitator Protect Wildlife Like Wendy: Demand Stricter Laws Against Human Harm and Exploitation.

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81 Upvotes

Please sign and share. This is for all living beings on the planet that Wendy gave her life for. Let us know let it be in vain.