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What to do if you find injured or orphaned mammals:
ADULT MAMMALS: If you find an injured, non-RVS adult mammal, cover with a heavy towel or folded cloth and gently place in a box or carrier. Remember that animals that are initially in shock due to an injury or trauma may revive and attempt escape. Do not drive with an adult animal in your car that is not safely contained! Do not give any food or water. If the animal is debilitated, you can place a hot water bottle in the container beside them to treat for shock. Contact the clinic or a rehabilitator immediately for assistance. CAPTURE: When attempting to capture an injured adult animal, have a suitable container ready. Assess and the situation for any possible danger to yourself before attempting capture. Anticipate the animal’s escape route! Badly injured animals will still attempt to get away as they perceive you as a predator. Approach an animal that is near or in a road with the thought of moving them AWAY from the road and not toward traffic. Climbing animals, like squirrels, will attempt to climb to get away even with a broken leg, so approach from the tree, fence, etc., not toward it. To avoid adding stress, keep the box or container in a quiet place before transport. Avoid constant peeking and checking. Keep pets and children away. If the animal is found in the evening and cannot be brought to a rehabilitator immediately, bring the box or container inside so that other animals do not attack at night. NEVER leave a debilitated animal outside overnight! While transporting, keep the radio off and conversation to a minimum. Note on RABBITS: When picking up an injured or ill rabbit, support the back and hind end well since they can further injure themselves by kicking and twisting.
BABY MAMMALS: Our first goal as orphan wildlife rehabilitators is to determine when babies require human intervention or whether they can be reunited with their parents. If any baby is injured or has been attacked by a pet, it needs care immediately at the Wildlife Clinic or by are habilitator. In some instances, however, we are able to help a wild mom get her babies back. For assistance, call the Wildlife Hotline(401)294-6363. Rabbits: Rabbits nest in shallow depressions in some unlikely places, like the middle of a yard, in a garden and even in large flowerpots. Rabbit nests are constructed with grass, hay and rabbit fur from the mother’s chest. The adult rabbit DOES NOT REMAIN in the nest,but visits one or two times IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Often people unearth a rabbit nest and watch for several hours. When no adult rabbits approach the nest, they assume the babies have been abandoned. If you uncover a rabbit’s nest, check to see that no one is injured. Avoid handling the babies and recover with the nesting material. If any babies are injured or clearly weak, contact a rehabilitator immediately. If you have reason to believe the babies are actually orphaned (dead adult nearby), you can place pieces of string or yarn in a crisscross pattern over the nest. The strings will be displaced in the morning if mom has returned. Another option is to sprinkle flour in a ring around the nest. Rabbit prints will be visible after she makes her visit. If it is determined that mom has not returned, place the babies in a box on clean toweling or t-shirts. Do not attempt to feed or give water. Place box on top of a heating pad set on LOW. You can also fill a water bottle with HOT water and place beneath the material next to the babies. If transporting, make certain the bottle cannot roll onto the babies and injure them. NEVER MOVE A RABBIT’S NEST AS MOM WILL NOT RECOGNIZE IT AS HER OWN AND THE BABIES WILL STARVE TO DEATH. If you are concerned about your pets attacking the nest, cover the nest when your pets are outside ONLY, making certain to uncover before dark. If you do not uncover the nest, mom will be unable to feed them and they will starve to death. Baby rabbits generally leave the nest and are on their own by around 25 days old. They are extremely vulnerable to pet attacks at this early age so monitor the situation carefully until the babies move on. Babies who have been attacked by pets should be checked by an experienced rehabilitator or the clinic, even if they seem alright. A single scratch or bite from a cat will often lead to death over a couple of days, due to the bacteria called Pasteurella in cat’s saliva.
BABY SQUIRRELS: Baby squirrels enter rehabilitation for a variety of reasons. Cats who are allowed to roam freely bring them home, they are found alone and wandering, they approach humans and will sometimes climb on a leg,they are found in attics and their nests are cut down. As with any species, baby squirrels that have had contact with cats or dogs need to be brought to the clinic or a rehabilitator as soon as possible.
BABY OPOSSUM: As scavengers, mother opossum continually move to find food. Baby opossum cling to the mother’s fur as she moves and occasionally can fall off. Mom may not know this has occurred and will continue on her way. ANY BABY OPOSSUM FOUND ALONE WILL NEED HUMAN HELP TO SURVIVE. Place the baby in a box or carrier with a towel or t-shirt. For further assistance, please call the Wildlife Hotline at (401) 294-6363. | ||||
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© Wildlife Rehabilitators Association of Rhode Island Development Team (Bryant University) | |||||
