We would like to share with you some information on   What To Do   if you should find or hear of someone
finding an animal in possible danger or distress.

Finding an injured animal or bird:

If your level of working with animals is based on domestic animals, please  Do Not  try to physically handle injured wildlife yourself.   GET HELP   There are many options,  but you MUST  call someone that is use to handling and working with Wildlife.  Many non seriously injured animals have fatally injured themselves trying to get away from a well meaning person trying to help that did not know how to handle Wildlife.  The best help you can give, if you are inexperienced in dealing with Wildlife, is to keep others away allowing the animal to remain calm and hopefully preventing it from injuring itself further until experienced help arrives. Your initial actions may save or cost this animal it's life. It's up to you,  please help responsibly,  not emotionally.

Is it truly orphaned:

Many parents of young Wildlife often take their young out to teach them to forage for food on their own. Young birds often leave the nest before they are able to fly, but you can be sure either Mom, Pop or both of them are very close by, watching and waiting to protect in a seconds notice.  The same with young animals. Mom may be close by, observing her young ones progress, so don't always be too sure that young "thing" you see needs help. It may be on a learning expedition and your intervention may cost it the proper upbringing and training it needs from it's birth Mother. The responsible thing to do is to stay away, observe, see if a parent is in attendance. In the case of Raccoon, the birth Mom may be moving her kits to a new den and a youngster may be left unattended for hours. Wait, watch - make sure the wee one truly needs your help.

Finding orphans near a dead Mother:

This sad scenario will most certainly call for your help. If the wee ones are small and show little or no signs of aggression, put on gloves or wrap your hands in a t-shirt, sweatshirt or some means to protect yourself and gently pick them up, but be cautious. Never forget, even a tiny wild baby has the natural instinct to survive and may bite out of fear trying to protect itself. Wrap them in something, your coat, your sweatshirt or a blanket. Body core temperature is essential for survival and more than likely the babies have been staying near their dead Mother trying to keep warm, even in the summertime. Keep the babies warm and quiet, preferably in a darkened place to help them calm down from your intervention. They don't have a clue who or what you are and how you handle them now will have a big impact on their later successful rehabilitation. I know they're as cute as all get out, but the less you handle them initially, the quicker they will respond to help, once they are willing to accept it. If you are taking the wee ones to your home while you are locating a trained Wildlife Rehabilitator, keep them in a covered box in a dark, quiet spot. Place the box  On Top  of a heating pad set on  LOW  situated so that their box is on  Half  of the heating pad. This will allow the babies to move to the "cool" side if they become too warm. If you don't have a heating pad a clean plastic bottle filled with hot tap water tightly capped off wrapped in old t-shirts or sheeting will do. Toweling material is not advisable as they can catch their tiny nails in it and cause damage to themselves or possible suffocation.

Attempting to feed orphaned young before they have calmed down or before their core body temperature has risen to an acceptable level may and has caused death. They don't need to eat, they need to calm down and only you can help them do that by keeping them very quiet. Please do not allow children to handle or pet Wildlife, it is not only stressful to the orphan but can be very dangerous as Wildlife  MAY  carry disease and or harmful parasites. By now you can and should be locating a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator. Did you know that in most states, it is illegal for an unlicensed individual to possess native Wildlife, even if you are simply trying to help. Wildlife is protected by both state and federal laws, breaking of these laws is punishable by fine, possible detention or both. It is also illegal to transport any wildlife across state lines without written expressed permission.