People with good intentions accidentally kill a lot of baby animals. Please make sure you don’t contribute to this problem this baby season if you come across a baby animal in need! Orphaned animals are almost always hypothermic and dehydrated after hours or days without their mothers’ care. When they’re in that state, they can’tContinue reading “Never Feed an Orphaned Wild Animal”
Category Archives: Wildlife Emergencies
Found an Orphaned Animal? Keep it Warm!
If you find a baby animal and are certain that it is truly orphaned— for example, because you actually saw the mother’s body nearby or because the babies are clearly emaciated— the most important thing you can do is keep it warm! Hypothermia— freezing to death— is the most common cause of death in orphanedContinue reading “Found an Orphaned Animal? Keep it Warm!”
That Friendly Animal May Not Be Your Reincarnated Loved One
Ok here’s what I wrote and it will go live tomorrow. Thank you guys! The world works in mysterious ways, and people can find messages hidden in anything. Grief is painful, and it’s only human nature to look for signs that our loved ones are still with us. Sometimes we come across animals in ourContinue reading “That Friendly Animal May Not Be Your Reincarnated Loved One”
Baby Opossums Left Alone Need Help!
Nearly any time you find a baby animal by itself, the correct thing to do is to leave it exactly where you found it. Most animals leave their young for long periods of time while they find food. Rabbits, for example, only feed their young once at dawn and dusk, and deer usually leave theirContinue reading “Baby Opossums Left Alone Need Help!”
Your Cat Can’t Raise Wild Animal Babies
You’ve likely seen— and possibly even shared— those cute viral photos and videos of domestic cats raising wild animals. Stories of cats raising wild animals are always adorable and heartwarming, but the sad truth is that most of these stories are fake, and most attempts to recreate them end in tragedy. Take, for example, theContinue reading “Your Cat Can’t Raise Wild Animal Babies”
“I found a dead bird. Should I save the babies?”
Even the very best rehabilitators can’t care for baby birds as well as the their natural parents, so we always make it a priority to keep baby animals with their families whenever possible. Unfortunately, some baby birds end up in rehabilitation because well-meaning people kidnap them. It’s not uncommon for someone to find a deadContinue reading ““I found a dead bird. Should I save the babies?””
Treating a Wild Animal With Mange Yourself? Not So Fast!
We get tons of messages from people asking us for advice on treating wild animals with mange. It’s wonderful that so many people care! Mange is extremely common in wildlife, particularly foxes and coyotes, and rates have skyrocketed in recent years due to human causes. When left untreated, mange causes infections, starvation, hypothermia, and eventuallyContinue reading “Treating a Wild Animal With Mange Yourself? Not So Fast!”
Fledglings Aren’t Orphans
Have you ever seen a human toddler in their first days on their feet? They stumble, waddle, and often fall… but it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong or that they don’t have parents looking out for them. The awkward first days of toddling are just part of how humans learn and grow. That’s how itContinue reading “Fledglings Aren’t Orphans”
That Baby Rabbit is Terrified, Not Calm
People who find cottontail rabbit babies often describe them as calm, comfortable, friendly, and sweet. All too often, wildlife rehabilitators receive photos of baby rabbits snuggled in hands, pockets, and bras, with enthusiastic stories about how much they love to be held. These stories almost always end in tragedy, when the babies die of stress.Continue reading “That Baby Rabbit is Terrified, Not Calm”
Lawn Chemicals Kill Salamanders in Winter
You have a whole magical world living right under your feet! Please help protect it. Salamanders and other amphibians are facing a serious crisis as their populations plummet all over the world. You can take very simple steps to make sure your own salamander neighbors are safe. This time of year, most salamanders are inContinue reading “Lawn Chemicals Kill Salamanders in Winter”
