Emergency
What To Do In A Wildlife Emergency
To find the nearest licensed wildlife
rehabilitator or wildlife care center, call your local humane society,
veterinarian, or Department of Fish & Wildlife office, Department of Natural
Resources or whatever your state agency is called that deals with wildlife -
or search online here.
What You Can Do - You never
know when you might have the opportunity to help a wild animal in distress:
you may find a bird that has flown into a window, been caught by a cat, or
tangled in fishing line, fencing, or kite string; a nest of babies fallen
from a tree or bush; or a deer, owl, or opossum hit by a car.
The first thing to
recognize is that the animal will not understand that you are trying to help
it. It is conditioned by instinct, training, and usually experience to
look on humans as enemies, as much to be feared as the cat or car from which
you have rescued it. Possibly, on a subconscious level, an animal is
aware of the difference between the hands of a friend or foe. Whether or not
that is true, however, what IS true is that an injured wild animal operates
from the instinctual level and, on that level, it reacts out of fear. Fear
and pain.
SHOCK - The Number One Killer
The second
thing to assume is that the animal will be in shock, both from the original
cause of its injury or trauma, and from being handled by you. And,
like with any human accident victim, shock can kill. Eliminating
extra stressors and alleviating shock, therefore, are the first priorities.
A bird like an owl, small falcon or hawk, or even a sparrow, that seems
content to sit on your finger is in shock. As nice as it is to assume
it knows you are trying to help, it is far more likely to be simply hiding
the fact that it is paralyzed with fear. Very simplistically, on a
physiological level, shock involves loss of body heat and fluids. Shock and stress are related and can compound each other.
Therefore,
- Any animal (which can be safely handled by you) should be placed in a covered box, with a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel, or with the box itself placed half on a heating pad set on low, unless it is a very warm day.
- Place something absorbent in the bottom of the box - newspapers, paper towels, or clean cloths with no holes or raveled edges. This helps keep the animal clean and dry, and gives it more secure footing.
- Keep the animal in a quiet place, away from family or pet traffic, and at a
- Temperature between 80° and 90°, and you have made the biggest contribution you can towards stabilizing its condition until you can get it to a licensed rehabilitator or care center.
- Resist the temptation to check on it: you are adding stress each time you open the box or subject it to unfamiliar noises (e.g., human voices, radio) or smells, in the case of mammals. Of course, if the animal is bleeding,
- Stopping the bleeding is critical. Gentle pressure at the wound site, or styptic powder or even corn starch combined with gentle pressure should be sufficient. Tourniquets are NOT a good idea unless you are trained: you can cause irreparable damage by not knowing when to let up on the pressure.
- Do not try to immobilize fractures except by wrapping the whole animal securely in a towel.
- Be aware of the danger of overheating the animal, particularly birds, during warm weather.
- Now, call a wildlife rehabilitator or wildlife care center. If there will be a delay in the animal coming in for care, the volunteer may walk you through an attempt to replace lost fluids. This is very dangerous to attempt on your own, since it is all too easy to get fluids "down the wrong pipe." Aspirating fluids, especially on top of other injuries or stress, or with a debilitated animal, can kill.
- DO NOT OFFER FOOD: it also could kill.
How to Handle an Injured Animal
PLEASE REMEMBER the Number One rule of handling
wildlife: keep YOUR SAFETY foremost in your
mind. No matter how noble you might be in risking life or limb in the cause
of injured wildlife, you won't do much good if teeth, talons, or beak
injures you first! Even though a small bird or young mammal may not be
able to hurt you, gently wrapping it in a cloth as you pick it up gives you
a better grip, helps keep the wings or legs from being further damaged as it
struggles, and covers its eyes: if it can't see you, it has one less reason
to be scared.
It is not recommended that you try to handle an adult raccoon, opossum, deer, or ANY heron or large bird of prey.
Call a wildlife rehabilitation center first and they'll do their best to
send a trained person with appropriate equipment.
If
you must handle such an animal for its safety even before you contact a
rehabilitator (e.g., it's in the middle of the road), do so with great
caution. A heron will go straight for the eyes and can blind or kill
you with its sharp, powerful beak; the talons of a large bird of prey can go
through your hand and you might not be able to get it to let go; a raccoon,
even one which looks very weak, can break a finger; a deer can break a rib
or cause even more damage if it kicks you. (Please know that these
warnings are not meant to imply that these animals are mean or vicious; they
are scared, in pain, cannot run away and so will try to defend themselves in
any way they can.) The best suggestion in these circumstances is to get
a box or blanket over the animal and leave someone with it while you call
for experienced help.
Transporting an Injured Animal
After you
call a wildlife center, the quickest way to get the animal to care is the
best. Though the animal may be sent to a veterinarian later, many clinics
prefer that the wildlife center deal with it first. Their trained volunteers
can stabilize its condition, deal with shock, blood loss, and dehydration,
can immobilize fractures and/or start a program of antibiotics, as
appropriate. If you can bring the animal in, that is going to be quicker
than a rehabilitation center searching for a volunteer available to pick it
up. Normally, a rehabilitator will be happy to do so, however, if that's the
fastest way to help it or if it is an animal which could be dangerous.
If you're transporting it, remember three important
things: heat, dark, and quiet. Have the car
warm and have a hot water bottle in the box (unless the weather is already
80o or higher). A hot water bottle can be made from any container
(even a zip-lock bag) which can be tightly closed. Fill it with hot tap
water, wrap it in a light towel to protect the animal from direct contact
with the hot glass or plastic, and carefully wedge it so it will not roll.
Keep the box closed and placed directly on the seat. It may be tempting to
let your child have the 'experience' of holding it or carrying it, but
PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT YOU MUST THINK FIRST OF THE NEEDS OF THE ANIMAL. Have the radio OFF and keep voices low and to a minimum. Remember you are
dealing with a wild animal, not a kitten or puppy used to the presence of
humans and which finds our touch or voice soothing.
Does it Really Need Rescuing?
Before
picking up any wild animal, BE SURE IT REALLY NEEDS RESCUING! Young animals
are often picked up by someone who mistakenly thinks they are orphaned,
injured, or abandoned, when they are simply exploring, having left the nest
on schedule and are still being cared for by their parents. Though to
an untrained observer they may look too young to be on their own, usually
the best thing you can do is to leave them alone!
(Exceptions:
if the baby is injured, very cold to the touch, in an area of danger, or a
parent is found dead. Remember, however, that most baby birds are raised by
both parents and the loss of one is not an automatic death sentence for the
young.) Young birds may be placed back in the nest or in a tree if found on
the ground. It is UNTRUE that parents will abandon young touched by
humans, although they may abandon a nest in an area where there is
continuous disturbance. If you see an animal which seems orphaned or
abandoned, stand back and watch from a considerable distance, or leave and
come back later to see if the parent or parents return. Often a wild mammal
mother will be off feeding for 4 or more hours. This is especially
true with fawns, whose primary defense in their first couple of weeks is
camouflage and lack of scent. Just remember, no matter how hard even
the most experienced rehabilitator might try to match the care these animals
would receive in the wild, humans are still poor surrogate parents. BE SURE
THEY REALLY NEED YOUR HELP BEFORE YOU INTERVENE.
Why Call a Wildlife Rehabilitator?
Often, people finding wild animals, particularly orphaned animals, want to care for
them themselves. We strongly suggest against this for several reasons.
First, state
and federal laws prohibit you from having in your possession any protected
wildlife (most native animals), even temporarily while caring for it with
the intention of releasing it. Wildlife rehabilitators or care centers
are licensed to hold wildlife while it is being rehabilitated. In
Oregon and many other states, licensed rehabilitators have to pass a test
and are trained to recognize and deal with the injuries, illnesses,
parasites, or other conditions which may be present.
Veterinarians who work with rehabilitators have many years' experience with
wildlife, which can be very different from dogs and cats, even parrots and
canaries.
Rehabilitators know the special formulas developed for different species,
and their dietary needs and caloric requirements; can administer medications
safely; and are trained to observe carefully and know the difference between
normal behavior, appearance, or even droppings, and something indicating a
problem. There are also diseases which you, or your pets, might catch
from wildlife. The field of wildlife rehabilitation is no longer a backyard
hobby but a science, with its own body of literature, journals, national
trainings and certification. Rehabilitators work closely together to
provide the top care available for our wild neighbors, who surely deserve
the very best - both in their own right and because so often their problem
is human-related. In the best interests of the wildlife about which you so
obviously care, we urge you to place their well-being above your personal
attachment and turn them over to a trained, experienced, licensed
rehabilitator. - Louise Shimmel
©1992 Louise Shimmel. Reprinted with permission. Louise is a wildlife rehabilitator in Eugene who specializes in caring for birds of prey and is the founder and director of Cascades Raptor Center. The Cascades Raptor Center is a wildlife rehabilitation center specializing in the care and rehabilitation of raptors including eagles,hawks, owls, falcons. At any time, you may find redtail hawks, golden eagles, bald eagles, spotted owls, great horned owls, prarie falcons, perigrine falcons, etc.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Rescued Raptors |
 |
 |
 |
 |
