Found Wildlife: Next Step?
Injured or Sick Adult
We do NOT recommend that you try to handle an adult raccoon, opossum, fox, deer or large bird (turkey or waterfowl) or bird of prey (hawk or owl). Injured or diseased adults can cause you grave harm. Wild animal injured or ill are fearful and in pain. If they cannot escape, they will try to defend themselves any way they can. This is a natural protection. They don’t understand that you are trying to help them. They may appear to be too injured/sick to fight or hurt you, but they can surprise you! It is always safer for you to call someone experienced with wildlife to help. CONTACT A REHABILITATOR or NH Fish & Game. See Official Contacts.
Baby Wild Animal
First Be Sure It Really Needs Rescuing Before You Intervene!
If you have found a young wild animal that you think is orphaned, abandoned, sick or injured, the best thing you can do is to leave them alone! It may be exploring while the parents are nearby keeping a watchful eye. Often, a wild mammal mother will be off feeding for a few hours. For especially fawn, this is a primary defense. You should stand back, wait and watch from a distance where your presence is undetectable or leave and come back later to see if parents have returned.
EXCEPTIONS: baby is visibly injured or sick, (bleeding, shivering, vomiting), injured from known cat/dog attack, are in a danger area, or parent is found dead.
PARENTS DON’T ABANDONED THEIR YOUNG, EVEN BIRDS TOUCHED BY HUMANS! However, they WILL ABANDON A NEST if there is continuous disturbance.
Most baby birds are raised by both parents so the other parent may be nearby. If you find a baby bird on the ground without injury/sickness, try putting it back into the nest, if whereabouts known, or in a tree close to where found by hanging a basket with the hatchling inside covered with tree leaves.
It is important to know that a baby animal’s best chance for survival is to be raised by its natural parents. Even the most experienced rehabilitator cannot match this. Do not attempt to raise an orphaned wild animal yourself. This may result in death or permanent impairment by improper care.
WHEN YOU MUST INTERVENE TO HELP A BABY WILD ANIMAL
CONTACT A LICENSED WILDLIFE REHABILITATOR. If not able to reach us or another rehabilitator initially when finding a baby wild animal, you may need to care for it until you do reach someone who can take it. For advice on care: see Temporary Care and Transporting to Rehabilitator.