What to do when wildlife may need help.

If you find a wild animal that appears ill, injured, or orphaned after normal business hours, there are steps you can take to keep it safe until help is available.

Signs an animal may need assistance

• Visible blood or wounds
• Flies on or around its body
• A head tilt or twisted neck
• Feels cold to the touch
• Cannot stand or move normally
• Is lying in or alongside a roadway

Safely contain the animal

Place the animal in a secure, towel-lined box or container with a lid. Keep it in a quiet, dark location away from children, pets, household noise, and activity. A clear photograph can also help Wanakia staff identify the species and determine the age of an orphaned animal.

Keep young orphans warm

Use a heating pad set on low beneath half of the container, a hand warmer wrapped in cloth, a warmed rice-filled sock, or a disposable water bottle filled with warm water and wrapped in a towel. Always leave part of the container unheated so the animal can move away from the heat source if needed.

Do not feed the animal

Do not offer food, water, milk, formula, or other liquids. Incorrect food or feeding can cause serious health problems, aspiration, digestive complications, and may reduce the animal's chance of survival.

Call Wanakia Wildlife and leave a detailed message describing the animal, its condition, and your location. Messages received after hours will be returned as soon as possible the following day.

Before intervening, look for signs that the squirrel needs immediate help.

Warning signs

• Blood or visible injuries
• Flies present
• Head tilt or twisted neck
• Cold to the touch
• Unable to stand or move normally
• Found in or along a roadway

If none of these signs are present and you believe the squirrel has fallen from its nest, place it in a shallow box at the base of the tree where it was found. Keep the baby warm with a wrapped hand warmer, warm rice in a sock, or a disposable water bottle filled with warm water.

Step back and observe from a distance. The mother squirrel will often return and move her baby back to the nest. Allow 2 to 3 hours for the parent to reclaim it.

If there is no parental activity within that time, or if dusk arrives, safely contain the squirrel in a towel-lined box or carrier and place it in a quiet, warm location away from household noise and activity.

Do not offer food, water, milk, or formula. A clear photograph may help Wanakia Wildlife identify the species and determine the age of the orphaned animal. Contact Wanakia Wildlife and leave a message if necessary.

Remember: Warm, quiet, and contained are the best things you can provide until professional assistance is available.

Mother opossums typically do not return for babies that become separated from them. If you find a young opossum alone, it likely needs assistance.

Warning signs

• Bleeding or visibly injured
• Covered in flies or fly eggs
• Holding its head to one side or appearing twisted
• Cold to the touch
• Unable to stand or walk normally
• Found in or along a roadway

What to do

Place the opossum in a secure, towel-lined box or container and keep it in a warm, quiet location away from children, pets, and household activity.

Provide warmth with a heating pad under half of the box, a hand warmer wrapped in cloth, warm rice in a sock, or a disposable water bottle filled with warm water.

Do not feed

Do not offer food, water, milk, or formula. Improper foods or feeding techniques can cause serious health and digestive problems.

Roadside alert

If you find a female opossum that has been struck by a vehicle, check the pouch if it is safe to do so. Young opossums may still be alive inside the pouch or clinging to their mother. Carefully collect and contain any surviving babies. With professional care, many orphaned opossums can be successfully raised and released once they reach independence.

Call Wanakia Wildlife and leave a message if necessary. A clear photograph can also help the team identify the species and determine the animal's age.

Intervene only if you observe warning signs such as visible blood or injuries, flies or fly eggs, a head tilt or twisted neck, cold to the touch, inability to stand or hop, being found in or along a roadway, or appearing weak, lethargic, or unresponsive.

If any of these signs are present, safely contain the rabbit in a towel-lined box or carrier and keep it in a quiet area away from children, pets, and household activity. Do not offer food, water, milk, or formula.

To keep the rabbit warm, use a heating pad set on low under half of the box, a rice-filled sock warmed in the microwave, or a wrapped hand warmer.

If you believe the rabbit is orphaned

If you can locate the nest, gently return the baby to it. To determine whether the mother returns, place a tic-tac-toe or star pattern of dry grass, leaves, or small twigs over the nest. Mother cottontails typically visit their young only twice a day, usually at dawn and dusk, and leave the nest unattended during daylight hours.

Check the nest the following day. If the pattern has been disturbed, the mother has likely returned. If it remains undisturbed and the babies' bellies appear sunken or wrinkled after 24 hours, contact Wanakia Wildlife for guidance.

When should a young cottontail be left alone?

A healthy young cottontail should be left alone if it is about the size of your fist, has its eyes open, holds its ears upright, and can hop well and move quickly. Young cottontails are typically independent by about three weeks of age.

When in doubt, contact Wanakia Wildlife before intervening. A clear photograph can also be very helpful.

Not all baby birds need help. Before intervening, determine whether the bird is a hatchling/nestling or a fledgling.

Warning signs that a bird needs help

• Visible blood or injuries
• Flies or fly eggs present
• A head tilt or twisted neck
• Cold to the touch
• Cannot stand or hold itself upright
• Found in or along a roadway
• Weak, lethargic, or unresponsive

If any of these signs are present, safely contain the bird in a towel-lined box and contact Wanakia Wildlife. A clear photograph can help with species identification and age estimation.

Hatchlings and nestlings

Little to no body feathers; mostly pink skin or sparse down feathers.

If possible, locate the original nest and gently place the baby back inside. It is a myth that parent birds will reject a baby because it has been touched by humans.

If the nest has been destroyed or is too high to reach, make a substitute nest using a small plastic container lined with dry grasses and securely attach it near the original nest site. Monitor the area for several hours to ensure the parent birds return.

If no nest can be located or no parent activity is observed, keep the bird warm with a heating pad on low beneath half of the box, a warmed rice-filled sock, or a hand warmer wrapped in a towel. Do not offer food, water, milk, or formula. Contact Wanakia Wildlife and wait for further instructions.

Fledglings

Fully feathered with short tail feathers; hopping on the ground but not yet flying well.

Fledglings are at a normal stage of development and often spend several days on the ground while learning to fly. Their parents are usually nearby and continue to feed and protect them.

If the bird appears healthy, leave it where it is, move it only if it is in immediate danger from pets, traffic, or other hazards, and monitor from a distance. If the fledgling continuously calls or chirps for more than two hours without any sign of the parents, it may need assistance.

In that case, place the bird in a towel-lined box, keep it warm and quiet, do not offer food, water, milk, or formula, and contact Wanakia Wildlife.

Adult birds

Adult birds should only be rescued if they show one or more of the warning signs listed above. If an adult bird is injured or compromised, safely place it in a towel-lined box or container, keep it warm, dark, and quiet, do not feed it, and contact Wanakia Wildlife as soon as possible.

Remember: The best thing you can do for most young birds is to reunite them with their parents whenever possible. Birds raised by their parents have the greatest chance of survival in the wild.