How to Help an Abandoned or Injured Animal

How To Help an Abandoned or Injured Animal

What to Do

Refer to the "When to Act" advice below. If you suspect that an animal is in need of help:
Call your local wildlife rehabilitator. Staff of a rehabilitation facility, can help to determine whether the animal actually needs help, and if so, how you can safely transport it to a treatment facility. Remember, unnecessarily removing an animal from its nest - particularly a baby - can cause more harm than simply leaving it alone.

When to Act

Rabbits

The baby is crying in a high pitched scream.
The nest is flooded and/or destroyed.
There are other dead babies around the nest.
The mother is dead. (Mother rabbits rarely abandon their nests. They hide nearby and only visit the nestlings when it is time to feed them - usually at dusk, during the night and at dawn.)
Place string or yarn over the nest in a tic tac toe pattern.
Check the pattern, if disturbed the mother rabbit is returning to the nest.
The baby’s eyes are closed and it is out of the nest
The baby is wet and/or cold.
There are flies around the baby.

Raccoons

The baby has been crying continuously.
The baby remains in the same spot for 24 hours.
The eyes are closed and is alone. (no mother)
The baby is lying stretched out and is cold to the touch.
The mother has been removed, relocated or is dead.
The baby is injured or has been attacked.
The baby walks up to humans non aggressively.
There are flies around the baby.

Skunk

The baby is crying continuously (mewing sound like a kitten).
The baby’s eyes are closed and it is out of the den.
The baby is cold to the touch.
The baby is injured or has been attacked.
The mother has been removed, relocated or is dead.
There are flies around the baby.

Squirrel/Flying Squirrel

The baby is crying (a high pitched, almost continuously squealing sound).
The baby is pink and/or its eyes are closed and it is out of the nest.
The baby walks right up to pets or humans (cold, hungry baby squirrels will often walk right up to humans to look for warmth and food.)
The baby is injured or has been attacked.
The mother has been removed, relocated or is dead.
There are flies around the baby.

Turtles

Turtles know where they are going. If you find a turtle crossing the road, put him/her on the side that it was going to. If you put it back where it came from it will simply try to cross the road again (with what could be a disastrous result). Box turtles, which belong on dry land, can drown in only a few inches of water.

Woodchuck/Groundhog

The baby’s eyes are closed and it is out of the den.
The baby is injured or has been attacked.
The baby is lying stretched out and is cold to the touch.
The mother has been removed, relocated or is dead.
There are flies around the baby.

Bats

The bat pup is on the ground and its eyes are closed.
The bat pup is cold or surrounded in flies.
The bat pup is pink and has no fur.
A female bat is on the ground with her pups attached to her.
The bat pup is injured or has been attacked.

Chipmunk

The mother has been removed, relocated or is dead.
It is injured or has been attacked.
The baby’s eyes are closed and it is out of the den.
The den nest has been destroyed and mom has not returned to move her young.
There are flies around the baby.
The baby is lying on its side, stretched out and it is cold to the touch.

Fawn

The baby has been crying for an hour or more. (a “maaaappp” sound)
The baby is injured or has been attacked.
The baby is lying stretched out and is cold to the touch.
The baby walks directly up to pets or humans.
The edges of the ears are curled (dehydrated).
The baby is in a dangerous place, (lying in water, wandering in the road, parking Lot etc.
The doe is dead.
There are flies around the fawn.

A fawn waiting for its mother to return

The fawn pictured above does not need help. A fawn in this position is likely waiting for its mother to return.

Fox/Coyote

The baby’s eyes are closed and it is out of the den.
The baby is injured or has been attacked.
The pup is lying stretched out and is cold to the touch.
The pup is by its self and there are no siblings or mother nearby.
The mother has been removed, relocated or is dead. .
There are flies around the pup.

Opossum

The mother is dead or injured, (check the mothers’ pouch for up to 16 babies). If the mother is dead, gently pull the babies off the nipples and warm them.
The baby has been injured or attacked.
The baby is lying stretched out or is cold to the touch.
The baby is away from mom and siblings and is less than 8 inches long from head to butt (not including the tail.)
There are flies around the baby.

These are common instructions from wildlife caregivers:

Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. A professional will be able to recognize if the animal is in distress or not.
DO NOT FEED A WILD ANIMAL - providing the wrong type of food or drink could cause serious harm.
If it is necessary to move an injured/abandoned animal:

Wear gloves when handling wildlife.
Put the baby in a secure box or pet carrier.
Provide a heat source for warm-blooded animals (a soda bottle filled with hot water put in a sock, or a sock filled with rice and heated till warm in the microwave are good sources of heat). Provide a blanket or towel to snuggle and hide under.
Keep rescued animals in a dark and quiet place away from pets and children

Seasonal Tips for Helping Wildlife

New Jersey temperature extremes can be tough on wildlife. Learn about summer or winter tips you can use to help wildlife survive.

Wild Baby Rescue Center, Inc.

Rehabilitation Center for Injured/Orphaned Wildlife