If you found a clearly injured animal and can safely contain it, do so! You can send us a picture and message on Facebook Messenger. Our Facebook page is here. We depend on the community to bring animals to us as we are busy taking care of other injured and orphaned animals.
Animals should be kept in quiet, dark spaces. Do not hold them, peek at them, or take photos of them after you secure them into your container. Stress can kill wildlife, and these actions are stressful. Do not give them food or water. Many animals are killed by people giving them food and water.
If you are able to pick up a bird, it is injured and needs assistance immediately. If your dog or cat has touched an animal, it needs antibiotics and assistance immediately. It should not be left alone.
Safety Precautions
Wild animals do not understand you are trying to help. They may bite, scratch, and claw, so use gloves or a towel when picking them up. The best thing to put them in is a cardboard box with a towel in the bottom.
When Should You Take a Baby?
If it’s in immediate danger from a predator, cats, dogs, if it’s in the road, or has a visible injury, then contact us immediately.
If you take the baby, it needs to be kept warm. You can either use a heating pad turned on low under the box it’s contained in or heat up a sock filled with rice and put in with the baby. You should be able to hold the heated sock of rice in your hand. If it’s too hot to hold, then it’s too hot for the baby.
We understand people want to help, but feeding a baby animal that isn’t properly warmed or hydrated will kill it. Please do not feed or give milk to babies.
Baby Bunnies
Baby bunnies are left alone all day. The mother feeds them at dusk and dawn. If the mother can see you, she will not come back to take care of the babies. If you want to know if the babies are being taken care of, you can put yarn across the nest in the shape of a tic-tac-toe grid. If the mother’s coming, she will disturb the yarn.
Baby Squirrels
Sometimes, mothers move their babies. Sometimes, the babies fall. Watch from a distance to see if the mother returns to pick up her babies. Give her at least 30 minutes. If the mother does not return to get the babies, then you can call a rehabber.
Baby Opossums
If the body of the opossum, not including the tail, is bigger than the size of your hand, the possum is probably out on its own. If smaller, it needs a rehabilitator.
Baby Birds
Baby birds are the #1 kidnapped animals. If the bird has all its feathers and is on the ground, watch from a distance to see if its parents are coming to take care of it. When baby birds leave the nest, they are unable to fly and spend several days on the ground learning. If the bird is not fully-feathered and you can locate the nest, put it back. If you cannot find the nest, call a rehabber immediately. If you are unsure as to whether the bird belongs on its own or not, send us a picture.
Wild at Heart Wildlife Sanctuary 