What to do if you find an animal

WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE REHABILITATOR TAKES THE ANIMAL

Please keep wildlife WARM, DARK, and QUIET

Please help us to care for our native wildlife by following these steps when orphaned or injured wildlife is found.

IMPORTANT-- CONTACT WITH HUMANS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS IS EXTREMELY STRESSFUL FOR WILDLIFE. Please minimize handling and environmental stress by keeping wildlife in a DARK, QUIET room away from people and other animals.

All small babies should be kept warm NOT HOT. A sock filled with rice and heating in the microwave for 1 minute will stay warm for about an hour. Don't put baby directly on the sock, it get's too hot. Place baby in a towel or old t-shirt next to the sock. Hot water in an empty plastic bottle can work as well but it will not stay hot as long.

If you have a heating pad...Put the animal in a small, towel-covered carrier lined with soft, ravel-free cloths. Place the ½ of the carrier on a heating pad set on low. Keeping the animal WARM is critical to its survival.

Rehabilitators use special formulas for each species, so please avoid giving any food. Animals that are extremely dehydrated may be given replacement electrolyte fluids SQ by qualified personnel. A cold baby cannot digest any foods or liquids. They must be warmed first.

Call your local wildlife rehabilitator (see numbers below) to make transport arrangements to get the animal into care as soon as possible.