Have you stumbled across injured wildlife? If so, there is no need to panic. Follow these steps to ensure the animal’s safety and wellbeing.

What Do I Do?

The first thing to do when you come across injured wildlife is to try to assess the situation as quickly as possible. Check to see how hurt the animal is and if it looks approachable. Some animals will willingly come towards you for help, while others might be more fearful. The last thing you want to do is scare an injured animal.

If the animal is approachable, move towards it without making any sudden movements. Again, you don’t want to scare them as they are likely already scared. The type of animal and the severity of their injury will determine what you do next. If the animal is smaller try to carefully pick them up in a blanket and place them in a safe spot. This can be a crate, small box, or any other area out of the way while you figure out the next move. The best thing to do next is to call a wildlife rehabilitation center and ask for their assistance.

Andes-Straley Wildlife Care

At the Andes Straley Veterinary Hospital, we offer wildlife rehabilitation. Give us a call and we can help you from there. Our mission is to provide humane and compassionate care for wildlife until they can resume their life in the wild. We provide quality care and medical attention to ensure the animals’ return to their natural habitat. At Andes, we offer care to sick, injured, and orphaned animals. We do not attempt to turn the wild animal into a pet. The patients are held in captivity only until they can live independently again. We aim to minimize human contact because fear of humans is a necessary survival trait for wild animals.

Our vets have extensive knowledge about wild animal species that allow us to assess injuries and diagnose a variety of illnesses. We understand the potential dangers the animal may present to the rehabilitator, which is why we take all precautions to keep both us and the animal safe.

If you found injured wildlife, please call us. We can help rehabilitate the animal properly and return them to their natural home. For more information on wildlife rehabilitation, check us out online here today!