You can help...
(On Behalf of Ontario Wildlife
Rescue)
When you find that little huddle of
wildlife; raccoons or skunks, squirrels or possums, groundhogs, porcupines,
beavers, these are things you can do ...
Access the situation carefully—is the mother likely
to return? Are cars, dogs, other wild animals, or even other humans, a threat? If it is safe, and
possible, you might watch for awhile and see if a mother does return. However,
if the area is one of traffic and human activity, the likelihood is slim.
Contact
wildlife centres by phone. Do not use email in an animal emergency. Call before
taking an animal to a wildlife centre. They may not be able to take it. Before you turn the animals over to them, ask
questions. How will it be taken care of? Will it be euthanized? What is
its future? Be satisfied!
Use gloves, or a blanket or towel, to pick it up, it will be frightened and will
not know you are a friend. Put it deep
in a dark box, with warm towels and blankets or even your old sweaters!
Darkness and warmth are very very necessary. So is quietness. Handle as little
as possible. If it is a bird of prey (hawk, eagle, owls) or large mammal
(bears, moose, etc.) talk to a Wildlife Centre first. These types of animals
even if injured can be dangerous to handle.
Best case
scenario is for you to do nothing to the orphan, besides getting it to a
rehabber. However, if you are having trouble finding a rehabilitator to take
the orphan, or give advice on how to keep it alive until you do find one, and
you believe nourishment is necessary to keep it alive, you must warm and
rehydrate orphaned first. If the baby does not feel warm, do not feed it,
as it will die. Hot water bottle wrapped in towel [even pop bottle] can work.
Rehydrate first using pedialyte or Gatorade. If old enough they might
lap, if not administer with a 1 or 3 cc syringe [no needle], slowly, so they do
not aspirate the fluids and you can measure how much the animal has taken. This
can sustain them a day or two. Never
give cows milk it will kill them. Some species tolerate goats milk some
do not. Espilac puppy formula or KMR kitten formula can be used with most
mammals until a rehabber can take them. A raccoon can use a human baby bottle
and nipple, other mammals cannot so continue using they syringe [it is better
than an eyedropper]. All fluids should be warm, just like feeding a human baby.
Keep
yourself clean, use gloves if possible, wash your hands after handling an
animal, keep yourself, the animal and the box clean.
Realize
it is illegal to keep any wild animal as a pet.
Realize
it will want to live the free life for which it was intended. The time will
come, when it is mature and would be breaking the bond with its own parent in
the wild, and it is given to an accredited place, where that will be its future
.
For more
information on what you can do to help visit http://www.ontariowildliferescue.ca/
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