It’s not uncommon to see baby animals in your neighborhood, especially during springtime. If you find a baby animal by itself, you might be tempted to take it in or save it. However, not all baby animals need help, as sometimes their parents are simply off hunting for food to bring back to them.
If you find a baby animal, you should assess the situation before intervening. Avoid assuming it is orphaned, make sure you keep children and pets away, and keep your distance. You might be able to notice signs that the animal’s parents are nearby by looking for tracks or listening for sounds.
Some signs indicate the baby animal needs help. For instance, noticing visible injuries like broken bones, finding their deceased parents nearby, or observing that it has been alone for a long period might signify that the animal needs assistance. While it is possible to rehab baby animals yourself, it’s always best to call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
At Nuisance Wildlife Rangers, we trap and relocate animals that are in your yard or home. While we usually bring wildlife back into the wild, we can transport baby animals to a wildlife rehabilitation center to ensure they get the care they need.
In this article, you will learn:
- What to do with a baby animal
- How to assess whether a baby animal needs help
- Why you should contact a professional wildlife company
How to Handle a Baby Animal in Your Yard
Wild animals can be unpredictable. If you see a baby animal in your yard, you should avoid approaching it. Their parents could be nearby and will become defensive if they see you messing with their offspring. Whether you find a baby bird, baby rabbit, or a baby squirrel, it is best to assess the situation to determine if they truly need help and call a professional for assistance.
When you notice a baby animal on your property, you should:
Assessing the Animal’s Health and Situation
If you see a baby animal by itself, their parents could be off finding food. Avoid assuming that the baby animal is orphaned. Instead, keep an eye on it throughout the day to see if their parents return.
Additionally, you can look for signs that the young animal is injured or in need of help, including:
- Visible injuries like broken limbs, bleeding, or sickness
- Finding a deceased parent animal nearby
- Being alone for extended periods and wandering alone or whining in search of its parents
- The animal appears very young, with closed eyes or fur that hasn’t grown yet
Caring for wild animals can take a lot of expertise and knowledge. In other words, it is best to leave the babies where they are and allow a wildlife rehabilitator to come and rescue them.
Rescuing the Animal Yourself
Rescuing any wild animal on your own is never recommended. You should always leave this work to professionals like Nuisance Wildlife Rangers.
However, if you have no other choice, there are some precautions you should take, including:
- Wear thick and heavy gloves, long sleeves, and long pants that can protect you from biting and scratching
- Gently place a towel over the animal before attempting to pick it up, as this minimizes their stress
- If the animal is injured or sick, place it in a secured container that has ventilation so it can breathe, and make sure it is kept away from pets or children
- Baby animals that are sick or injured may be in shock, which means you should avoid offering food and water
- Call a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as you have the baby animal in a safe situation where they can rest until help arrives
Avoid Trying to Keep Wildlife As a Pet
If you save a baby animal, you might start to feel an attachment to it. This could cause you to want to keep it as your pet. Unfortunately, keeping wild animals as a pet is never recommended, even if you’ve gone through the process of saving them.
After caring for a sick or injured animal, you should give them to a wildlife rehabilitator who can provide them with the best chance at being reintroduced to the wild. No matter what type of animal you are dealing with, they are meant to roam free and contribute to your local ecosystem. It can harm the environment to attempt to domesticate wild animals.
Finding a Wildlife Rehabilitator
Once you’ve located a baby animal in your yard or even saved them and brought them inside, you should contact a professional. At Nuisance Wildlife Rangers, we can transport baby animals from your home to a wildlife rehabilitation center. Whether baby animals are trapped inside of your crawlspace, injured in your backyard, or resting in a cardboard box after you’ve saved them, we can bring them to a rehabilitation program that will reintroduce them into the wild.
Get Connected to Nuisance Wildlife Rangers
If you find a baby animal in your yard, Nuisance Wildlife Rangers is here to help. We can safely capture and transport orphaned or sick baby animals to wildlife rehabilitation centers. Because of our humane and ethical approach to wildlife care, we will never harm the animals in the process.
Contact us today to learn more about what you should do if you find a baby animal on your property.
