"I found a baby wild animal! Now what?"

by Dr. Heidi Hallett

Spring is a time when young wildlife species are more commonly encountered.  Sometimes, a young animal may appear injured, abandoned, or in need of help.  The following discussion may help determine the best course of action to follow.  Most of the young animals found in the wild are not abandoned, but if a wild animal is injured, sick, or orphaned, steps should be taken to contact the DNR (WI Dept. of Natural Resources) or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.  Contact information appears at the end of this article.  Wildlife rehabilitators are licensed individuals trained and equipped to provide temporary care and treatment to injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals for the purpose of release back into the wild. Rehabilitating wildlife without a license is against the law in Wisconsin.  If it’s necessary to help an injured or orphaned wild animal, a non-licensed person may have the animal in their possession for up to 24 hours in order to transport the animal to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.  In Wisconsin, skunks cannot be rehabilitated nor can deer in any county within a 10 mile radius of a known CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) positive deer, either captive or wild.  Deer rehabilitation has been banned in Waukesha County for 2013.
 
General Instructions: ​If transporting orphaned or injured wildlife to a licensed rehabilitator, place the animal inside a ventilated container in a dark, warm and quiet place away from human disturbances.  A cardboard box punched with small ventilation holes and lined with a ravel-free material works well.   Due to the risk of being bitten or scratched and possible disease exposure, try to avoid handling the animal directly, even with gloves. It is recommended to scoop the animal into its travelling container if possible. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after coming into close contact with wildlife. Try to minimize stress to the wild animal as much as possible.  Avoid direct eye contact with wildlife, since most animals see eye contact as a threatening or challenging gesture. It is also recommended not to provide food or water to the wild animal.  The wildlife rehabilitator will provide the correct nutrition needed.

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To help determine if a young, wild animal is orphaned, the following normal development guidelines and behaviors can be used as reference.

Grey Squirrels:  Squirrels nest in trees by using a tree cavity or building a nest out of leaves.  Mothers will retrieve their young if they fall out of the nest.  Newborn grey squirrels are about the size of a human thumb.  Their eyes open at about 4 weeks of age, and they begin to explore outside the nest area.  They are weaned at 8 weeks old, but cannot survive on their own until at least 12 weeks old.  Squirrels with bushy tails that are approximately half the size of an adult are old enough to be on their own.  Grey squirrels can have multiple litters each year, so baby animals can be seen any time from spring through fall.

​If a young squirrel is found with its eyes still sealed shut, it has probably fallen from its nest.  If it’s uninjured but can’t be safely placed back in its nest, put the squirrel on a soft, ravel-free cloth at the base of the tree with the nest.  There is a good chance the mother will return it to the nest herself.  Observe from indoors or from a distance, and if the mother hasn’t retrieved the baby after an hour or so, call a local wildlife rehabilitator.

Bunnies in HVH yard

Cotton-tail Rabbits:  Rabbits commonly make shallow fur or grass-lined nests in the ground.  Mothers only feed their young at dawn and dusk and won’t stay at the nest during the day.  The babies’ eyes open at 1 week and they leave the nest at 2-3 weeks of age.  A cotton-tail rabbit approximately the size of a softball (4-5 inches long) with upward pointed ears is capable of being on its own and should be left alone.  Rabbits can have multiple litters each year, so baby animals may be seen anytime from spring through fall.

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If a nest is disturbed by a pet, child, or because of lawn work, the nest can be rebuilt and the babies replaced, and the mother will most likely return.  To determine if the nest is abandoned, place leaves or grasses in a crisscross pattern over the nest and check it the following morning.  If the pattern has been disturbed, then the mother has been there to feed the babies.

Raccoons:  A raccoon will nest in tree cavities, caves, brush piles, rock crevices, and buildings.  Mothers will retrieve their young if they fall out or wander away from the nest.  Litters consist of 2-6 babies, and their eyes begin to open at ~3 weeks of age, and teeth begin to erupt at 4 weeks of age.  At 4-6 weeks, raccoon kits are capable of walking, climbing, and running, and may begin to explore alternate den sites with their mother.  Weaning occurs at 8-12 weeks, but the kits remain with their mother until the following spring.

​If young kits are wandering alone outside of the den before the age of 4-6 weeks, it is usually an indication that the mother has been gone for several days, (ie, trapped or dead), and a wildlife rehabilitator should be contacted.  If healthy raccoon kits are found outside of their den, they can be placed in a ventilated box at the den entrance overnight for the mother to retrieve.  If the babies are still there the next morning, contact a wildlife rehabilitator.

White-tailed Deer:  Newborn deer can be as small as 3 pounds.  Very young fawns are weak, can’t walk well, and lack the strength to follow their mother as she feeds.  Fawns are protected from predators by their coloration and lack of body odor.  The mother only comes to feed the fawn every few hours, and nursing is accomplished quickly.

​Do not touch the fawn or bring children, pets, or friends to look at it because that endangers the fawn. Human scent can lead a predator right to the well-hidden fawn.  If a fawn is in obvious danger, such as in the middle of the road, use gloves to pick up the fawn and move it about 50 feet off the road.  The mother deer will find the fawn.  Due to Chronic Wasting Disease concerns, wildlife rehabilitators currently are not allowed to provide care for orphaned fawns in most of southern Wisconsin, so it is very important that people protect the babies by leaving them alone to be raised by their mothers.

Songbirds:  Songbirds lay a clutch of eggs in a nest, and young birds are usually tended by both parents. Once the eggs have hatched, the featherless “nestlings” remain in the nest for some time completely dependent on the parents for warmth and food.  Baby songbirds leave the nest just prior to the full development of their feathers and so cannot fly for several days to a week.  During this time, they are called “fledglings” and hop around on the ground building their strength and coordination under the watch of their parents.

​If a fledgling is found, keep predators such as dogs and cats away and watch from a distance to see if the parents are still tending to it.  If the parents do not return within an hour, contact a wildlife rehabilitator.  If an uninjured bird is found in the grass, and it is featherless or unable to hop from one spot, it needs to be replaced in its nest if possible.  It is a common misconception that parents won’t return to care for a baby bird if humans have touched it.  Birds actually have a poorly developed sense of smell.  If the nest can’t be reached, call a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.

Mallard Ducks:  Mallards lay approximately 6-14 cream to greenish-buff colored eggs in a nest typically concealed in wetland grasses or by bodies of water.  The hen will not sit on her nest until all of the eggs have been laid.  Once she starts to incubate the nest, the babies will hatch in approximately 23-29 days.  Mallard ducklings are born with their eyes open and a covering of downy feathers, but depend on the mother for warmth and protection from predators.  The mother will lead them from their nest to water when they are about 24 hours old.

​If the nest is in a dangerous place or if there is concern about the hen getting the ducklings safely to water, call a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.  It is not uncommon for a duckling to get separated temporarily from its family.  If a duckling is found alone, look and listen for any signs that the mother and siblings are in the area. If the family is not nearby or won’t accept the duckling within an hour, do not try to place the orphaned duckling with another family in the wild.  The orphan will need to be placed in the care of a wildlife rehabilitator.

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Contact information for licensed area wildlife rehabilitators (WI DNR website): Waukesha County:

Name	Address	Contact	Species
Wildlife in Need Center	W349 S1480 S Waterville Rd. Suite B, Oconomowoc	262-965-3090  website	All, except deer, skunks, and bats.
Susan Verden	Oconomowoc	262-965-4335 arakun@earthlink.net	Opossum, rodent/rabbit, small carnivore, raccoon, reptile, amphibian
Susan Saliga		website	Squirrel
Humane Animal Welfare Society	701 Northview Rd., Waukesha	262-542-8851 ext. 108  mark@hawspets.org	All, except deer, skunks, seabirds, and eagles
Nancy Meier	S41 W33855 Hidden Valley Dr., Dousman	262-392-9309 possums@live.com bunniesrus@hotmail.com	Opossum, rodent/rabbit

Sources:  WI DNR website: dnr.wi.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/wildlifehealth.html

​    Wildlife in Need Center, 262-965-3090