If the parent hasn’t picked up the little one by nightfall, you will need to contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. You can reach a trained wildlife rehabilitator by going online to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at and searching by. Leave him as close as possible to where he was found and withdraw at least 50 yards and observe with binoculars until dusk. Animal Shelters Veterinary Clinics & Hospitals Dog Training. Parents tend to remain in the area for at least a day, looking for the lost youngster. From Business: Forest View Volunteer Rescue Squad was founded in 1955 and serves the citizens of Richmond and Chesterfield counties in Virginia. If a fawn or rabbit has been “rescued” when it shouldn’t have been, it can often be released at the same location - if it is on the same day. They are frightened and/or in pain and see you as a threat and can bite severely. Never attempt to capture an adult sick or injured mammal. These are high-risk animals that are potentially dangerous to your health.

Call a rehabilitation facility and follow their instructions. Place the animal in a well-ventilated cardboard box in a dark, quiet, warm place. Second, if the animal is hurt and you are able and willing to pick it up, do so with care (this includes heavy gloves), handling it as little as possible and keeping your hands away from its mouth (there is always potential for rabies among wild animals). The kindest thing you can do for these animals is keep them out of the way of predators by placing them in a box or elevated place. Other times a dazed or unconscious animal is only temporarily stunned. Sometimes a parent is close by but waiting for the human intruder to leave. Unless one of these guidelines applies, leave wildlife alone.įirst, make sure it really is injured or orphaned. Additionally, many behaviors that people may view as abnormal actually are not in wildlife, and people may do much more harm than good by attempting to catch them for rehabilitation. Most wild animals are dedicated parents and will not abandon their young, but they do leave them alone for long periods of time while looking for food. More than 75 percent of such orphans “rescued” every spring should have been left alone. Often, particularly in spring, concerned people pick up animals that they think are orphaned. Humans often misinterpret normal wildlife behavior as abnormal and may unnecessarily disturb and stress wild animals by attempting to catch them. Although our intentions are well-meaning, human interaction with wildlife should always be kept to a minimum. More often than not, handling injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife can do more harm than good.

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