You look out your window and see a litter of skunk kits running around with no parent to be seen. What’s next? Kits without their mother aren’t necessarily orphaned or injured. However, unlike some animals, skunks are typically attentive parents who don’t leave their babies unattended for very long. If you wait about three hoursContinue reading “I found a baby skunk! What now?”
Tag Archives: rabies
How Bats Prevent Disease
Did you know that a single little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in one hour? Worldwide, mosquitoes are responsible for more illnesses and deaths in humans than all other animals put together. When mosquito populations rage out of control, so do rates of diseases like malaria, West Nile Virus, dengue, and zika—Continue reading “How Bats Prevent Disease”
Can I Relocate a Raccoon?
Although regulations vary from state to state, Tennessee law forbids people from trapping raccoons and releasing them anywhere besides the property where they were found. This is because, even if a raccoon appears healthy, it may be carrying a disease such as rabies or canine distemper. When the raccoon is moved to another area, itContinue reading “Can I Relocate a Raccoon?”
Tennessee Rehabilitators Can’t Save Bats
In Tennessee, even wildlife rehabiliators who are permitted to handle rabies vector species can NEVER accept a bat for rehabilitation. Although the state of Tennessee will allow specially licensed rehabbers to handle foxes, skunks, and raccoons, the handling of wild bats is strictly forbidden due to their disproportionately high risk of rabies. Please do notContinue reading “Tennessee Rehabilitators Can’t Save Bats”
The Stinky Ketchup Packet That Could
You might find something like this on your property or along public forest trails. It’s about the same size and shape as a ketchup packet and smells like rotten fish. Believe it or not, this little packet protects you, your pets, and your family. The USDA drops these in areas (including Hamilton County) where raccoon-variantContinue reading “The Stinky Ketchup Packet That Could”
I Found a Rabid Raccoon! Help!
“Help! I found a rabid raccoon!” This is one of the most frequent— and panicked— calls we receive in wildlife rehabilitation. If it happens to you, here’s what to do: -First, stay calm. The animal probably isn’t actually rabid. Raccoons can be awake in the daytime for any number of reasons. If it looks healthy,Continue reading “I Found a Rabid Raccoon! Help!”
Handling a Raccoon: a Deadly Mistake
We often hear from finders who have handled wild raccoons without gloves— a mistake that’s very easy to make when it’s just a little baby. Some people will also hand-feed adults or attempt, illegally, to raise orphans as pets. Please be careful: this is very dangerous! When raccoon roundworm enters the human body, the wormContinue reading “Handling a Raccoon: a Deadly Mistake”
Any Mammal Can Get Rabies
For Fox Sake’s focus is on our local rabies vector species: skunks, foxes, and raccoons. But these animals aren’t “rabies vectors” simply because they can catch rabies, but rather, because they can live with it for several days or weeks and transmit it to other animals, including humans, during that time. It’s possible for absolutelyContinue reading “Any Mammal Can Get Rabies”
Should I Kill A Fox? It Might Have Rabies!
“It might have rabies,” is one of the leading reasons people give for killing wild foxes. Foxes and cats each account for about 6% of rabies cases per year, but, fortunately, no one suggests that we mass-murder stray kittens. Let’s have the same respect for wild animals, instead of slaughtering them because of the smallContinue reading “Should I Kill A Fox? It Might Have Rabies!”
What’s a Phoby Cat?
You might occasionally still hear older people refer to an animal called a “phoby cat.” This is due to an outbreak of rabies— formerly called hydrophobia— among Western spotted skunks in the 1800s. Unfortunately, the spotted skunk’s reputation as a rabies carrier led to a massive trend in over-hunting and over-trapping, the effects of whichContinue reading “What’s a Phoby Cat?”
For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue 