How to help injured or orphaned baby animals, according to wildlife experts
As baby animal season begins and the weather heats up, wildlife experts have shared guidance on how to tell the difference between an animal that needs help and one that is simply waiting for their parents to return.
As warmer weather signals the start of baby animal season, wildlife experts have released recommendations on how to assist young wild animals in difficulty.
Encounters with baby animals become more common during spring and summer, but it is not always clear what the best course of action is. A good first step is to assess whether the situation really requires intervention - while some baby animals may appear to be alone, a parent is often somewhere nearby.
Whether an animal is orphaned is not always obvious, but indicators include age, species, and behavior. Some baby animals are frequently left alone and use camouflage to protect themselves, while others have parents nearby supervising their first steps into the world.
"This time of year, animal shelters and wildlife rehabilitators often see an increase in baby wild animals brought in by compassionate members of the public who mistake these animals as abandoned," says John Griffin, senior managing director of urban wildlife at Humane World for Animals. "While it is critical to provide care for animals in need of help, it is equally important to assess the situation to determine whether intervention is truly necessary, as wild animals typically do best when raised by their parents."
Signs that a wild animal needs help:
A bird has no or nearly no feathers and is on the ground.
The animal is shivering.
The animal is covered in parasites.
The animal is crying and wandering for a prolonged period of time, and there’s a dead adult nearby who could be one of the parents.
The animal shows signs of injury.
A wild animal has been in a dog or cat’s mouth.
If any of these signs is present, the best next step is to contact a local wildlife rescue or rehabilitation center for advice and guidance. Following the experts’ instructions, you can attempt to safely capture the animal and transport them to the appropriate treatment facility.
Deer
When encountering deer, remember that it’s not a given that a fawn (baby deer) is orphaned just because you cannot see the mother. A mother doe only visits the fawn a few times per day to nurse them, staying away the rest of the time to avoid attracting predators. If the animal is calm, it is best to leave them alone unless there is confirmation that the mother is dead. If the fawn has already been handled, they can still be placed back in the same spot, as human smells won’t mean that their mother will reject them.
If a fawn is lying on their side, crying, or wandering incessantly, they could need help - in which case it is best to contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center.
Rabbits
Baby rabbits in an untouched nest should be left alone, as should any rabbit over four inches with erect ears and open eyes who can hop well - they are independent from their parents and can handle themselves. If a nest has been touched or affected in any way, cover it with grass or leaves and follow these steps:
Keep companion animals away from the area.
Avoid touching the babies and wear gloves if possible while handling the nesting material.
Use yarn, sticks or string to make a tic-tac-toe pattern over the nest to assess whether the mother is returning to nurse their young. Check back 24 hours later.
If the yarn, sticks or string were moved aside, but the nest is still covered with grass or leaves, the mother has returned to nurse the babies.
Better yet, monitor the nest with an outdoor video camera placed near the nest.
If the pattern remains undisturbed for 24 hours, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Foxes
Fox kits will be unsupervised for long periods of time while their parents are away providing food. They will play in the area around their den until they are ready to go out and hunt themselves. If they appear energetic and healthy, they are best left alone. If they appear injured or sickly, or if there is reason to believe that the parents are dead, it’s best to contact a rehabilitation centre.
Birds
If a featherless bird has fallen from a nest but seems unharmed, they can be placed back in the nest and the parents will return to take care of them (it is a myth that bird parents will abandon a baby that humans have touched). Attempts should always be made to reunite the baby birds with their parents before calling a rehabilitator, as birds do best when raised by their parents.
Fledgling birds hopping around may seem like they are unable to fly - but they are simply learning, this is a normal process and the parents are often nearby. If you see adult birds flying nearby, those could be the parents. Also look for white-gray faeces nearby - birds defecate after eating, so the presence of faeces is a sign that the birds are being taken care of. If you are certain that the parents aren’t returning, contact a wildlife rehabilitation centre.
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