What to do When You Find a Stray Baby Animal, a Baby Bird, or a Baby Mammal in the Wilderness

Call your local area Wildlife Center, State wildlife agency, Audobon Society, National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service if you find a baby wildlife animal that needs help. In case of doubt, let your local city/county wildlife and animal control professionals handle all stray baby animals.

Considering that a baby animal is usually best cared for by its mother, it is important to limit any contact with baby animals to the very minimum.

Having said that, let us clear up one of the most common myth/misconception about whether or not a mother will reject her baby if a human handles a baby animal. Animals do not abandon their babies simply because they may have come in contact with humans. It is quite likely, however, that she may not return while humans or other pets are in the close proximity of her offsprings.

If you find a wild baby animal that you suspect to be abandoned, in danger, or injured, please your local area Wildlife Center immediately. Baby animals that are not being cared for by their mothers are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, and injuries and therefore often need immediate assistance from experienced individuals specializing in wildlife. If you do not have contact details for your local Wildlife center handy, contact your local city animal control center, your local police, your State wildlife agency, Audobon Society, National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services.

Special care must be taken for certain young baby animals.

• Baby Birds: If a baby bird appears to be injured (shows signs of bleeding, broken wings, or bite marks by a cat or a dog) or really weak/sick (shivering feverishly, unable to move or flutter wings, etc.) it is likely that it may not survive without your help. If it is hurting, contact your local Wildlife Rehabilitator. If it appears to be unhurt but just weak, and if you can find its nest nearby, place the baby bird in its nest and step back. Observe from a distance if its parents return to the nest. If they do, it is time for you to sport a broad smile because you have just saved a baby bird. If many hours have passed and there are no signs that suggest that the baby is being cared for by its parents, it is time to enlist a Wildlife Rehabilitator.
• Baby Duck or a Baby Goose: Most ducklings or baby geese stay very close to their mothers. If you find one that appears to have been separated from its mother, bring it close to its mother and leave. Be prepared to be attacked or be chased away by its mother if she feels you are endangering her babies! If a ducking appears to be hurt or sick, bring it to the attention of a Wildlife Rehabilitator.
• Baby Bunny Rabbits: If the baby rabbits that you have found appear to be healthy (approximately 4 to 5 inches long, with both eyes open and ears pointed up) and active (hopping around), leave them alone! Baby bunnies that are grown up to that stage rarely need (or tolerate) help from others. If you have found a baby bunny that looks fragile, with drooping ears, and eyes that are not wide-open, it could probably use some helpful assistance from you. The first thing to do is to look for its nest in the nearby area. Bunny nests are usually shallow, and they often look like shallow depressions or indentation in a grassy area. If you can find its nest, carefully place the baby bunny back into its nest and cover-up the nest with a thin layer of grass. Revisit it the next day to see if its mother had returned. If the baby bunnies appear to be abandoned, contact a Wildlife Rehabilitator.
• Baby Mammals: Is you have found a baby mammal that appears to be injured (shows signs of bleeding, shivering, or attacked by a cat or a dog) or sick ( shivering or vomiting), you may want to immediately call a Wildlife Rehabilitator. If it appears to be healthy and unharmed, it is advisable to place the baby animal in a small box and leave it in the general area where it was originally discovered. After you have ensured that it is protected from the elements (direct exposure to the Sun, rain, or snow etc.), it is advisable to step back but keep an eye on it to see if its mother returns. If its mother returns (usually within 4 to 6 hours), walk away and give yourself a pat on the back for having saved a baby mammal's life. If the mother does not return, however, it is time to call a Wildlife Rehabilitator.
• Baby Seal (a seal pup) or a Fawn: It is normal for seals leave their babies when they go looking for food. Most seal pups appear healthy and playful. If a pup appears to be weak, hurt, in danger of being hurt (dogs in the area, etc.), or if you have reasons to believe it may not be safe, it would be good idea to contact a Wildlife Rehabilitator immediately. Baby seals are usually very fragile and unable to defend themselves from most dangers. If the seal pup appears to be healthy, and not in danger, leave the area but watch it from a distance. In all likelihood, you will see its mother return soon from a trip to her feeding area.
• Baby Opossums: If you have run into any baby opossums that are approximately 4 to 6 inches long (not including it's tail) and appear to be otherwise healthy, leave them alone. At that age, they are capable of living on their own, independently. If you find a baby opossum that is smaller than 4 to 6 inches, or a baby that appears to be hurting or sick/weak, you may want to bring it to the attention of a Wildlife Rehabilitator in your area.

If you do not have a contact number handy for your local area wildlife Rehabilitator, call the local Police or Sheriff's Department and ask for their help with the baby wildlife animal/bird that you may have found.

It is important to remember that many pets/animals carry infectious diseases that can be harmful to you. This is especially important in case of vulnerable people (infants, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals) that are more likely than others are to contract a disease from stray wildlife animals. Patients who may have recently received organ transplants are also increasingly more likely to get infectious diseases from wildlife animals. Extreme care must be exercised when it comes to protecting individuals who may be at increased risk of developing infectious diseases.

Here are some of the precautionary measures you can take to prevent being infected by stray animals:

• Wear protective (leather or thick vinyl) gloves if/when you must handle wildlife
• Wash your hands well with soap and plenty of water after coming in contact with baby animals -especially if they appear to be sick
• Avoid contact with baby animals' body fluids and secretions
• Do not handle baby animals that appear to be vomiting or have diarrhea
• Do not bring home an unknown/unhealthy baby animal
• Do not let a stray wildlife baby animal lick your face/mouth or come in contact with open cuts or wounds
• Do not kiss a stray baby animal
• Do not let stray baby animals come in contact with your other pets
• If you are bitten or scratched, wash the wound with soap and water, and seek medical advice immediately

The above safety tips are extremely important to protecting immunocompromised individuals from the diseases that may be carried by stray baby animals -especially by high-risk wildlife animals such as baby reptiles, (which includes baby lizards, baby snakes, and baby turtles), Baby chicks, Ducklings, Baby Monkeys and other Exotic pets. These precautionary tips also apply to baby animals that one may come in contact with while visiting farms, petting zoos and county fairs.