When you’re living in Florida, you’ll likely come across all different types of wildlife. From birds and squirrels to reptiles like iguanas and snakes, Florida is home to a diverse ecosystem. While wildlife thrives here, you might also find sick, injured, or abandoned wild animals.
If you come across a baby bird with a broken wing or an animal that appears abandoned, your first instinct is probably to help it. While these animals need help in certain cases, it can take a professional to interpret their behaviors, find out if they are hurt, or determine what type of assistance they need. In other words, you should always call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator when you come across injured or orphaned animals.
At Nuisance Wildlife Rangers, we can come and assess the health of any type of young animal you’ve found. We can determine if they are sick, have an injury, or have been abandoned by their parents. Once we have the full picture of the animal’s situation, we can contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to come and rescue them.
If you cannot get a wildlife rehabilitator and help the animal immediately, there are a few steps you can take to keep them safe in the meantime. Usually, the wildlife rehabilitator you called will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to help the animal until they arrive. They might ask you to assess for injuries, transport it to an animal shelter or rehabilitation site, or wait for them to arrive while keeping an eye on the animal.
Caring for Injured Animals: Essential Steps for Rescue and Recovery
If you find an injured, sick, or orphaned baby animal, you should contact a wildlife professional immediately. You can also receive support from animal control, a local wildlife veterinarian, or a wildlife removal company like Nuisance Wildlife Rangers.
Once you call the wildlife rehabilitator, they might ask you to complete the following steps:
Assessing the Situation
The wildlife rehabilitator will ask you questions about the animal to determine if they are injured or sick. This lets them know whether the animal is hurt, if it truly needs help, or if it should be left alone.
Questions you might have to answer include:
- Is the animal bleeding?
- Can you see an open wound?
- Does the animal appear to have a broken bone?
- Is the animal covered in fly eggs?
- Has the animal been crying for longer than a full day?
- How long has it been since the animal’s mother returned?
- Does it appear weak, or is it lying on its side?
- Has it been attacked by a domestic animal like a dog or cat?
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you might be dealing with sick, orphaned, or injured wildlife. The wildlife rehabilitation expert or animal control agency you were speaking to will give you instructions on how to transport the animal or how to keep an eye on it while they come to pick it up.
Containing Wild Animals
It’s unlikely that the wildlife experts will ask you to catch or contain the injured or orphaned animal yourself. However, if a sick wild animal has entered your home and is posing a risk to small animals or children, you might need to contain it until help arrives.
If the wild animal is inside your home, get all household pets and children into another room. Section off your home to prevent the animal from entering other rooms. This prevents the wild animal from coming into contact with pets and humans and causing trouble until the wildlife experts can come to capture them safely.
In rare cases, animal control agencies will ask you to transport the animal yourself. It all depends on the type of species you are dealing with and whether it is safe for you to handle them on your own. If so, take the following steps:
- Use a secure and sturdy container, like a cardboard box or a pet carrier
- Line the container with a towel or cloth to keep the animal comfortable
- Cover the animal with a thick towel and wear thick gloves while handling them to secure them in the container
- Ensure the animal cannot escape by securing the lid or tightly closing the door
- Place the container in a quiet and dark area to ensure the animal stays calm
- Avoid giving the animal food or water unless instructed by a wildlife expert
Providing Care for Orphaned Animals
If you find a visibly injured or orphaned animal, you might be tempted to provide them with care yourself. While some people might be successful in rehabbing animals, it is incredibly difficult to do so without expertise and experience.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), “Rehabilitators go through extensive training on how to raise and treat young and injured wildlife. Leave it to the professionals and you’ll greatly increase the animal’s chance of survival. If you take an animal from the wild, there is a 90% chance it will NOT survive.”[1]
Instead of trying to care for an injured wild animal yourself, you should use available resources in the state of Florida to get them the care they deserve.
Get Connected to a Wildlife Removal Company
If a wild baby animal has been alone for long periods, it’s possible that they have been abandoned by its parents. Additionally, if you find a visibly injured animal, they’ll need help to recover. While you might be tempted to try taking care of them yourself, it is best to leave it to the professionals.
At Nuisance Wildlife Rangers, we can trap and transport injured or orphaned animals to a rehabilitation center. Whether we are dealing with sea turtles, mammals, or even predator species like coyotes, we will help nurse the animals back to health. Contact us today for more information on what to do if you find a vulnerable or injured animal in Florida.
References:
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS): What to Do About Injured or Orphaned Wildlife
