Guide to Orphaned Wildlife

Baby Deer

Determine if it needs to be rescued:

• If it is lying quietly and unbothered by flies and has no apparant injuries, it is fine.
• Moms leave their babies in one spot while they graze for the day.

Always bring it to a rehabilitator if:

• If you see flies and the baby is not moving to get them off, something is wrong and it may need care.
• It has been injured, hit by car, or attacked by a dog and mom is nowhere to be found.
• If you know for a fact that mom was killed (fawn was standing beside a dead adult next to the road).
• If the fawn is crying and approaching people.

Leave it alone if:

• It is lying quietly and there are no flies. They will not run from you; mom tells them to stay put until she returns.
• Deer keep their spots until they get their winter coat. The fawn can be 4 months old and 45 lb and still have spots.
• If you have to bring it to a rehabilitator:

• Place in a size appropriate kennel lined with a towel.
• Keep warm and away from noise, people and pets
• DO NOT put any food or water in the box.
• DO NOT try to feed it anything.
• *NOTE: Deer fawn can only be rehabilitated by a licensed deer rehabilitator for the County it is found in!
• *Autumn Winds Animal Rescue can only take deer/fawns from Pulaski County.

 Baby Oppossum

Determine if it needs to be rescued:

• If it is a baby by itself, you see no evidence of mom and it fits on the palm of your hand, it may need help.
• If the babies are by mom but mom is injured, both mom and babies may need help.

Always bring it to a rehabilitator if:

• It was hit by a car.
• Mom is injured.
• It has pink skin only or only has some fur.
• Mom is dead. Babies will continue to nurse and could get very sick. Check her pouch.
• It was caught by a cat, dog, or another animal.
• Mom is no where to be found and you find the baby on the ground.
• It is cool to the touch.

Leave it alone if:

• It is about 10” or greater in length, excluding tail.
• Mom is still in the area.

If you have to bring it to a rehabilitator:

• Place in a size appropriate boxl lined with a towel.
• Keep warm and away from noise, people and pets.
• DO NOT put any food or water in the box.
• DO NOT ry to feed it anything.



Baby Rabbit

Determine if it needs to be rescued:

• If you come across a rabbit nest in your yard/garden and you want to make sure the mom is still visiting the nest (which she only does twice a day, once during the dawn hours and again in the dusk hours), place a circle of flour around the nest. Check back in 24 hours; if the flour is disturbed, mom is visiting the nest; if not, the babies need help.
• Baby rabbits are only in the nest for 4-5 weeks and then are weaned. When they are weaned, they are about the size of a fluffy tennis ball and are starting to venture out on their own.

 

Always bring it to a rehabilitator if:

• Mom has abandoned the nest (check using above method).
• It has pink skin only or only has some fur.
• It has been injured.
• You or your dog has destroyed/dug up the nest and you are unable to reconstruct the nest.
• It was caught by a cat.
• You are renovating your yard and you cannot wait a month for the babies to be on their way.
• You have hit any of them with your mower (you only need to bring in the injured babies).
• It is cool to the touch.

Leave it alone if:

• Mom comes to the nest. She takes FAR better care of them than us.
• They are tennis ball sized and are eating grass, they are weaned.
• There are no obvious signs of injury.

If you have to bring it to a rehabilitator:

• Place in an appropriate sized box with lid lined with a small towel.
• Keep warm and away from noise, people and pets.
• DO NOT put any food or water in the box.
• DO NOT try to feed it anything. Rabbits will mostly refuse anyone who is not mom.
• DO NOT handle them more than absolutely necessary.
• Rabbits are afraid of everything larger than them. They seem calm because they are dying of fear.



 Baby Squirrel

Determine if it needs to be rescued:

• Baby squirrels mostly fall from their nests that are high up in trees.
• Unless you actually see mom trying to collect the baby, it will probably need to be brought in.

Always bring it to a rehabilitator if:

• It was caught by a cat or dog.
• You know the mom is dead.
• It has pink skin only or only has some fur.
• It has been following people around.
• It has an obvious injury.
• It is cool to the touch.

Leave it alone if:

• Mom is tending to it.
• It is active, feeding and running around.

If you have to bring it to a rehabilitator:

• Place in an appropriate sized lidded box lined with a small towel.
• Keep warm and away from noise, people and pets.
• DO NOT put any food or water in the box.
• DO NOT try to feed it anything.



Turtle

 Determine if it needs to be rescued:

• Most of the turtles we get do not need to be here.
• If you see a turtle crossing the road and you want to help, simply place them on the side of the road in the direction they were going. Turtles are very territorial and releasing one in another area will cause disputes.

 

Always bring it to a rehabilitator if:

• A car hit it and there are serious cracks in the shell and/or the appendages/head are injured.
• An animal attacked it and there are serious cracks in the shell and/or the appendages/head are injured.
• If you see mucous bubbling out of its nose.
• If it has swollen eyes or ears.

Leave it alone if:

• There are only a few scales missing from its shell and there is no blood present. This is not serious and they will grow back.
• They are hatching in an appropriate area. Turtles are independent from birth. If they are in your yard and you want them moved, call for advice.

 

If you have to bring it to a rehabilitator:

• Place in an appropriate sized lidded box lined with a small towel. Keep warm and away from noise, people and pets.
• DO NOT put any food or water in the box.
• DO NOT try to feed it anything.



• Raccoon, Fox or Bat

 

 Determine if it needs to be rescued:

• Raccoons nest in trees. Watch the young on the ground (from a distance) to see if mom comes to get them. If they are still on the ground after a couple of hours, they may need help.
• Baby bats stay in the roost but are occasionally carried by mom. A baby on the ground will need assistance. Mom will not come back.
• Baby Fox tend to stick with Mom, if you find them out by themselves and away from their den, there may be a problem.

Always bring it to a rehabilitator if:

• You know mom is dead.
• If it is crying and/or approaching people.
• It was hit by a car or attacked by another animal.
• It was caught by a cat.
• There was exposure to people (was handled or bit someone).
• It has flies, ants, or other bugs on it.
• It has pink skin only or only has some fur.
• It has an obvious injury.
• It is cool to the touch.

Leave it alone if:

• Mom is nearby.
• It's activity looks suspicious. Rabies will make animals act very differently, ranging from complacent/calm to raving/foaming.

If you have to bring it to a rehabilitator:

• Handle with latex gloves and/or a towel and place in an appropriate sized box with lid or kennel lined with a towel.
• Keep warm and away from noise, people and pets.
• DO NOT ut any food or water in the box.
• DO NOT try to feed it anything.
Raccoons carry a roundworm which can be passed on to people and other animals. It can be extremely painful and could be fatal. Please throw away any towel, box, and gloves used with raccoons.





Baby Bird

Determine if it needs to be rescued: 

• Check feathering: If naked or downy, try to put the baby back in its nest. Songbirds have no discernable sense of smell; the parents will accept it.
• If it is feathered and hopping around, leave it alone and watch from inside your house to see if the parents are feeding it.
• If you have a hard time catching it, it doesn't need a rehabilitator!

Always bring it to a rehabilitator if:

• It is sitting in the open asleep.
• It has visible injuries (head tilt, broken appendages, etc)
• It was caught by a cat.
• It was hit by a car or fell hard against your roof/driveway/ sidewalk.
• If the nest is too high or you do not know where the nest is.
• If there are no parents taking care of the baby.

Leave it alone if:

• It takes you more than 5 minutes to catch it.
• Parents are caring for it. Young birds learn to fly from the ground.

If you have to bring it to a rehabilitator:

• Place in an appropriate sized box with lid lined with a paper towel.
• Keep warm and away from noise, people and pets.
• DO NOT put any food or water in the box.
• DO NOT try to feed it anything.

It is sad but:

• Cats are a part of the world. Do not rescue the baby just because there might be a cat in the area. Even if they avoid the cat, they still have to learn how to deal with dogs, hawks, owls, foxes, snakes, cars, and people. Unless a cat is actually about to pounce on the baby, leave it alone.