WILDLIFE WELFARE EMERGENCY PHONELINE 919

If you have found an injured adult mammal, please use extreme caution. Wildlife Welfare will not accept mammals that have bitten someone. Please call you city’s Animal Control Dept. for capturing such an animal.

Bring the animal inside and place in a well ventilated box that has been lined with an unfrayed towel. Put it in a dark, quiet location of your home. Try to handle it as little as possible.

Secondly, because this wild animal is stressed just by being in captivity, you MUST provide supplemental heat regardless of the temperature of the room. Place a heating pad at a low setting on your counter or floor, and place the animal’s box on top of half of the heating pad so that the animal can move away from the heat if it gets too warm.

If you do not have a heating pad, you can use a hot water bottle or a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Place this type of supplemental heat securely inside the box and tucked under the towel. Do not let the water turn cold.

After these two steps have been followed, call the rehabber listed on this tape. They will get back with you as soon as possible.

Do not give food or water to the animal until you have received further instructions from this tape, a rehabber or a veterinarian.

Wildlife Welfare receives thousands of animals each year. Because of this large volume, at various seasons of the year our rehabbers may reach their limit in terms of the time they have available. If they cannot take in more animals, you will receive that message from their answering machines.

Also, you get a list of licensed rehabbers by county from The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission website or click at top of page “Not in the Raleigh Area”.

http://www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_06_coexist.htm - NC Wildlife Commission Website
1. Click on "Co-existing with wildlife"
2. Click on "Contact a Wildlife Rehabber"
3. Scroll down by county and click.

Wildlife Welfare is a nonprofit organization receiving no money from the State of North Carolina. Wildlife Welfare rehabbers are volunteers. The cost of an animal can be quite expensive, and is paid by each rehabber out of their own pocket. Any donations to Wildlife Welfare would be very much appreciated.

For help with Songbirds and Waterfowl (for raptors see further down) please call the Piedmont Wildlife Center at 572-9453. We are excited about their new location between Raleigh and Durham just off 40. Their hours are 9am to 5pm daily.

******Don’t’ be too eager to rescue a fully feathered young songbird (fledgling) that can’t quite fly. When the birds first leave the nest they may still be on the ground with mom and dad feeding them for a few days until they can fly. Keep children, dogs and cats away

The information below should help if you have found an adult or baby songbird and cannot reach a rehabber after several hours. These instructions are for temporary care only. It is best not to feed any animal until you have spoken to a rehabber.

If you have found an injured adult bird - follow the previous instructions and provide the bird with canned or soaked dry dog food or cat food as well as wild birdseed. Some birds are seed eaters and others are not, so this allows the bird to pick its best diet if you are not sure of its’ identity. Also provide a small container of water that is heavy enough not to turn over. Remember to provide supplemental heat.

WARM the baby and if it is gaping for food you can give pea size pieces of canned or soaked dry dog or cat food. Do this until the bird stops gaping. This routine will need to be repeated every 20 -30 minutes from dawn to dusk. Do not give the baby bird water, earthworms or milk. A makeshift nest made of an unused margarine tub lined with tissues will be fine.

Baby birds that have just fallen out of a nest can be put back. Don’t worry about putting human smell on the babies. The mother won’t usually care. If the nest is too high, then make a makeshift nest out of a basket and line it with dried grass and pine straw. Also, you can use a ½ gallon or gallon plastic milk carton (cut hole in the bottom for drainage) with a large hole cut in the side. Snap the top on too. Snuggle the baby down into the nest and hang near as possible to the original nest. If bad weather comes around then bring in the bird and set back out as soon as possible. The parents will continue to feed the babies at both locations.

If a bird’s nest has been built in an unsuitable location (example: a boat parked in the driveway and not used much) then move the nest 10 inches a day until you relocate to a better place.

Birds that have run into windows will many times recover. Place the bird in a paper bag or in a box with air holes. Place in a QUIET place for an hour. Each time you check on the bird, bring him back outside. Open the bag or box and if the bird doesn’t take off then try again in another hour. Try for 3 hours. If the bird has one wing down (dragging) or a bad head tilt then the caller will need to get the bird to a vet or rehabber.

For help with Raptors please call the Piedmont Wildlife Center at 572-9453

Call the Carolina Raptor Center in Charlotte at 704-875-6521. The center will try to contact a licensed bird rehabilitator in your area.

*DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RAISE ANY OF THESE ANIMALS YOURSELF. You will be putting yourself and the animal’s health in jeopardy

1. Illegal to keep or have them (must have a license)
2 .Feeding schedule could be anywhere from every 30 minutes to every few hours.
3. Aspirates very easily by an untrained person.
4. Need to be stimulated to use the bathroom.
5. Cost a lot to feed (Formula $22 a can for powdered formula) and then all the other different foods they will need.
6. Squirrel babies must be raised in groups. If raised alone they will be picked on in the wild when they are released and if they are kept as nonreleaseables they become biters/attackers to everyone but one person.
7. Rabies
8. May need drugs right away or need to be seen by a vet.
9. Must have or purchase large indoor and outdoor cages.
10. Could take up to 3 months before the animal is ready for release.
11. Rabbits die very easily.

If you have disturbed a nest of baby bunnies, place all material back in the nest and snuggle the bunnies down inside it. The nest will be lined with the mother’s fur. Cut several pieces of string (about a foot long) or use very small sticks and cross on top of the nest to make a star. Check the nest the next morning to see if the string or sticks have been disturbed by the mother coming or going. The mother only comes maybe twice during the night to feed and does not stay at the nest. You may never see her. If the nest looks as if the mother is not returning or if the babies look thin and cold or have ants or flies on them then call a rehabber immediately.

Again, healthy babies can be placed back in the nest. Young rabbits are on their own at a very early age. If the rabbit had to be chased to be caught then it probably didn’t need rescuing. Put the rabbit back where it was found unless it was brought in by a cat or dog that can’t be kept up. If a cat or dog has brought in a rabbit, it will need to get on an antibiotic soon. If they don’t know where the nest is that the rabbit came from then follow (closely) the dog or cat the next time it goes out. If the nest isn’t found then the dog or cat will continue to kill or harm the rest of the litter. Many people are willing to keep their dog or cat up for a couple of weeks in hopes that the babies will grow up and leave the area.

If no nest is to be found or if the rabbit is injured the most important thing is to provide warmth until the caller can get the rabbit to a rehabber or vet. Rabbits can die simply from the stress of being near humans. Do not handle the babies unless necessary and keep them in a quiet warm location until you reach a rehabber.

Look the babies over for injuries or signs of maggots. If there are injuries or maggots then the baby should go to a rehabber immediately. Remember---If one baby has fallen then there are probably more that have fallen or will fall from the same nest. The area needs to be checked all around where the first baby was found. Sometimes the babies will still be out there calling for their mom or they may have crawled under some pine straw or ground cover. Tell the caller that the babies almost sound like a bird - very high pitch usually in 3 to 4 chirps at a time.

Many times the baby can be reunited with mom. Keep a baby warm by putting a jar of hot water in a box (stuffed in a sock) or double up Ziplock bags with hot water and put the baby in a box or bucket with the heat supplement and toweling. Use toweling or blankets that are natural colors (browns, greens etc.) The box or bucket can be nailed to the side of the tree. Don’t use a box too deep or the mother will not come in and be able to jump out with the baby in her mouth. Keep all kids, dogs and cats away and watch from a window. Check the warmth of the baby every 30 minutes and bring a new hot water source to change out. If there is more than one baby, it may take the mother 15 to 30 minutes between times in getting her babies and moving them. If the mother hasn’t come for several hours then she probably isn’t coming. Sometimes the mother comes right after dark. Never leave them out any longer than 30 minutes after dark. Even eyes opened squirrels need their moms for a long time. Don’t be tempted to put the squirrel back on the tree it fell from. Small squirrels that look fully developed are still in need of care most of the time. Baby squirrels need their mom for up to 12 weeks of age at least.

On some occasions (found very late in the day) the baby squirrels can be brought in for the night and kept warm. Try to put them back outside in the morning in hopes of mom coming back. It will change the smell of the baby if you give him formula. So, if necessary, feed only water (very slowly). Most people don’t know what a 1cc syringe is and use a syringe that is way too big, causing the squirrel to aspirate. Please check with a rehabber before giving water or anything. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! Again, do not give any fluids or feed a baby before talking with a rehabber.

From time to time babies will crawl out of a nest and out onto a limb crying when something has happened to the mother (dead)---- they will eventually fall. If the ground is not concrete then they will probably survive the fall. Sometimes a tree climber with a tree cutting service will charge somewhere around 35 dollars to climb up and get the babies. Babies will also crawl out of the nest if it is heavily infested with fleas.

“I was walking by and a little squirrel ran up to me” or “my children said that a young squirrel kept following them around”, are signs indicating squirrels definitely needed rescuing. They are usually dehydrated and starving. This is a sign that something has happened to the mother and the young squirrel doesn’t know how to care for himself even though they are fully furred and running around. There are probably more siblings around if they haven’t already died. Listen for the high pitched cry and tell them to check for the next 48 hours in the same area. It is amazing how long these little guys can live.

Adult Squirrels

Most adults that come in have been hit by cars, attacked by cat or dog, or have been trapped in someone’s fireplace or attic for days. These animals need immediate attention. Again, warmth is very important. Call a rehabber immediately.

You can put boxes over the squirrels and slide a thin piece of board very slowly under the animal. Also, a baseball cap will do to push the animal into a box or carrier.

There is good way to get baby opossums back with their moms. These guys will need to go to a rehabber. They chill fast---get them warm. For starters, throw a towel in the dryer and get it warm and put them in it. Then you can tell them about using a jar of hot water and putting it in a sock, or filling a sock with dried beans or rice and heating it in the microwave. Most small baby opossums that are found will come from a mother opossum that was hit by a car. The babies, if quite young, will still stay attached to the mother’s nipple even if she has died. The mouths will have to be carefully pried open to loosen the suction. The babies just about swallow the mother’s nipple. For those bold folks out there, check the pouch for others. Unfortunately, it is very hard to save the very tiny pink opossum babies. There are a few rehabbers who can tube them, but they should probably be taken to a vet and put down.

The larger babies sometimes just fall off of the mother and she probably doesn’t even notice. Again, there is no way to get the baby back with the mom since she travels a good distance at night in search for food. These guys need to be kept warm. The baby will need to go to a rehabber. If the opossum is over 500 grams then it may be on its own anyway.

Injured Adult Opossums

At times teenage and adult opossums get caught in garbage cans. They go in and then can’t get back out. Sometimes they have been trapped for days. They become quite dehydrated. Contact a rehabber. It is not always a good idea to just turn the garbage can over. Let an opossum rehabber decide what is best after they have all the information. Sometimes the animal is too weak to run or walk away and then they are attacked by another animal.

Unfortunately, many opossums are hit by cars. They can be easily pushed into a box with a broom or something similar. Also, a towel or blanket can be gently put over them and then they are easy to pick up. They are not vicious like many people think. Need to be kept warm! Contact a rehabber. Call an After Hours Emergency Clinic if it is late at night.

If the adult is female then there is a chance she may have babies from early spring through mid summer. Even the very young babies will usually have their feet hanging out of the pouch and moving. The very tiny and pink babies mostly likely cannot be saved. Their mouths are still sealed to an “o”. A few rehabbers have success with tubing, but most seem to die. Call a rehabber and see if the opossums are old enough to be saved – otherwise they will need to be taken to a vet to be euthanized. Don’t forget the babies will need to be kept warm.

If an adult has been hit by a car and is still alive then call your local Animal Control or the Police Dept. If it is outside of Wake County then call the Wildlife Enforcement Division –919 733-7191. This is a 24-hour line and a real person answers.

Many times raccoons will make nests in chimneys and the babies may fall down. An experienced rehabber may be able to tell you how to put the baby back out at night and have the mother retrieve him. Also, nests can be in attics and crawl spaces. . Many times the mom will move them on their own with some good advice.

Wildlife Welfare does not accept Raccoons, Foxes, Skunks, or Bats because of rabies. We will try and give advice and direction. First of all, be aware of the risk of rabies when handling these animals. Sometimes all the kids in a neighborhood have handled a baby raccoon before you know it. Animal Control is to be called in such a case.

Many times fawns are rescued unnecessarily. The mother leaves them alone in thick brush or grass while she goes off to feed. There are times when a young one is attacked by dogs or has tried to jump a fence and gets hung. Even if the fawn has been handled or touch, there is still a chance the mother will come back for them if they are healthy.

Click on the following website to get a list of fawn rehabbers in North Carolina. http://www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_06_coexist.htm and then click on Contact A Wildlife Rehabilitator and then click on Fawn Rehabilitator

If a deer is hit by a car and is still alive call your local animal control, the police, highway patrol or The Wildlife Enforcement Division at 919-733-7191 (24 hour phone line).

*** Do not attempt or let others attempt to put an injured deer in a car or truck. They can kick out the windows and your head. Only those who know what they are doing should try.

*Turtle Team at College of Veterinary Medicine – may have to call the vet school to get newest pager # Pager #982-5923 as of April 2008

www.nwrawildlife.org – National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association. This web site lists rehabbers for North Carolina and other states.

WILDLIFE WELFARE EMERGENCY PHONELINE 919-387-1662

Adult Squirrels

Injured Adult Opossums