Helping Wildlife in Distress: When & How To

Wildlife have a lot to contend with out there. Each day, they face a never-ending list of both natural and man-made threats including predation, vehicular collisions, window strikes, extreme weather, illness & disease, and so much more. While most of our Ontario wildlife are strong, adaptable, and resilient, there are times when they need a little extra help from humans to survive and thrive in the wild.

Red-tailed Hawk nestling; blown from nest and reunited with help from rescue
Photo by Ann Brokelman

It's not always easy to tell when an animal may be in need of help. Often times wildlife are just fine on their own, but learning to recognize the signs of an animal in distress can help you determine whether or not they're in need of rescuing.

Signs of an animal in distress

• Visible injury (bleeding, broken limbs, etc)
• Weakness, lethargy, or unconciousness
• Abnormal demeaner (overly friendly with humans)
• Deceased parent nearby
• Visibly ill (discharge from eyes, nose, ears, or mouth, "puffed" appearance in birds, patches of fur/feathers/shell/etc missing, vomiting)
• Nestling bird on the ground (look for nest nearby, if none, call rehab immediately)
  
  

Do not interfere with

• Fawns (baby deer) found on the ground; moms leave babies for hours at a time, returning to feed periodically.
• Rabbit nests; mom rabbits only return to the nest a couple times per day to feed her young.
• Fledgling birds on the ground; fledglings are baby birds with full feather coverage but may not be able to fly yet. If they are not in immediate danger, leave them where you find them and watch (from a respectful distance) for a parent to return. Click here to learn more about identifying the fledgling stage.
• Nesting turtles on roadsides; while the turtle may require assistance after laying, never disturb a turtle while they are digging a nest or laying eggs.
• Natural predator-prey interactions; do not interfere with predators hunting or feeding on prey. As distressing as it may be to witness, it is a natural and necessary part of the natural world.

If you are ever unsure if an animal is in distress and requires intervention, call a local wildlife rehabilitation centre for expert advice. Never take an animal home with you to try to care for it yourself. This practice is illegal, dangerous, and inhumane for the animal. 

How to help

• Option 1: If you find an animal that is in obvious need of immediate care (visible injury, etc), capture the animal as gently as possible and contain it in a suitably sized box with several air holes, lined with a towel, and place in a dark and quiet area. Do not offer food or water. Call a wildlife rehabilitation centre for guidance on transport.
  
  

• Option 2: If you've found an animal that you believe may be in distress but aren't 100% sure, call a wildlife rescue before attempting to capture the animal. Do not offer food or water.
  
  
• About turtles: Thousands of turtles are victims of vehicular collisions each year. Fortunately, we have a turtle rescue in Ontario who work tirelessly to save even the most injured turtles and their eggs, the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. Did you know that in many cases where a female turtle has been hit and killed on the road, her eggs can be saved and incubated?! The OTCC has volunteer vet clinics and drivers all across the province who can aid in getting injured turtles or deceased turtles with eggs to the centre for care. Click here for more information.

Many incidents where wildlife require rescuing occur on or near roadways. Keeping a "wildlife rescue kit" in your car can help ensure that you are always prepared to help an animal in need. Some things to add to your car kit include:

• A sturdy box with several small air holes; optional: multiple size boxes for small or larger animals
  
• Brown paper bags, unwaxed; small birds can be placed in brown paper bags for transport purposes, boxes with lots of space give room for the bird to injure itself trying to escape
  
• Work gloves & face mask; thick gloves help prevent injury when handling a wild animal, and a face mask adds protection against zoonotic diseases
  
• Towels; to line the bottom of the box and clean up purposes
  
• Duct tape; to seal the box to prevent escapes
  
• First aid kit in case of injury to self during rescue

No matter the circumstance, it is important to remember to never offer food or water to wildlife in distress. Aspiration can occur easily, and foreign foods introduced can cause severe long term health issues. 

Great Horned Owl rehab release
Photo by Ann Brokelman

Visit https://www.ontariowildliferescue.ca/ for a list of licensed Ontario Wildlife Rehabilitation Centres.

For more tips about how you can help keep wildlife safe, visit these links:

• Maintain proper boundaries between wild animals and people
  
• Discarded fishing line, hooks and lures a danger to wildlife
  
• Ontario Turtles: Why They Cross the Road and How To Help
  

Happy trails!
- Shayna