According to the laws of Alberta, only legally permitted wildlife rehabilitators may possess injured, sick or orphaned wildlife. If you have found distressed wildlife, it is important that you contact a licensed rehabilitator immediately and make arrangements for the animal to be transferred to a rehabilitation centre. They will be able to advise you on what to do in your specific case. To contact a rehabilitator in your area, click here

Injured Wildlife

Before you pick up a wild animal, be sure you are prepared by reading through these steps:

• Animals will protect themselves if they are threatened
• Do not approach or attempt to rescue an animal if it unsafe for you to do so
• Have an appropriate container ready. A cardboard box will be work for most birds. Mammals will require a sturdier container such as a fiberglass pet caddy or a strong wooden box.
• Ensure that the container has adequate ventilation.
• Wear leather gloves and have a towel available to throw over the animal
• Once the animal is in the container it is vital that you keep the animal safe, warm, and quiet – away from pets, children and noise.
• Transport the injured animal to the nearest wildlife veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitation centre as soon as possible.

Orphaned Wildlife

Most of the young animals that are brought in to rehabilitation centres are not truly orphaned. Please read the following information to help you decide if the young animal that you found needs to be rescued or just left alone until their mother returns.

Altricial Birds (songbirds like robins and sparrows)

What you should know: Nestlings

• When these birds hatch they are completely naked or have light down so they can’t keep themselves warm. Their eyes are closed.
• They spend their first few weeks in the nest until they have developed feathers and can move around.

Fledglings

• Once the baby birds have their feathers, they will leave the nest and often be found on the ground – their parents are still nearby and will continue to feed them.
• Birds will not abandon their nestlings or fledglings because humans have handled them.

What you should do:

• If you find nestlings on the ground they must be returned to the nest.
• If they are cold, warm them up in your hands before returning them to the nest.
• If you can not return the nestling, keep it warm and call a wildlife rehabilitator.
• Do not try to raise the bird yourself. Aside from being illegal, it requires that you provide appropriate (not human) food and feed every 20 – 30 minutes from sunrise to sunset.
• If you find fledglings on the ground, remember that it is a normal stage of development. Unless they are obviously injured, leave them alone.
• If you have fledglings in your yard, do not let your pets out unsupervised. House pets are the biggest threat to wildlife in urban areas.

Precocial Birds (ducks, geese, shorebirds)

What you should know:

• Precocial birds are covered in down at hatching, their eyes are open and they are able to feed themselves within a few days.
• They leave their nest after hatching and usually don’t return to the nest.
• Parents protect and keep the young birds warm for the first few weeks.
• Mother ducks and killdeer will often fake injury (broken wing) to lure predators away from their young.
• Ducks often nest far from water and lead their ducklings to water after they hatch.

What you should do:

• If you disturb a female duck from her nest, she will return after you leave
• If you find ducklings without their mother, observe the situation from a distance. Often the mother will fly off if disturbed, but will return when it is safe. If the mother does not return, contact a wildlife rehabilitator.
• Sometimes family groups may be divided. Often the rest of the family are on the nearest pond or slough with the mother. In this case, return the ducklings to the slough.
• If you find you grebes, loons, or coots away from water, they may be moving to another slough or lake. These birds rarely abandon their young. Check nearby water areas for signs of the adults.
• If you see a mother duck or killdeer holding their wing down and being very noisy, it’s likely protecting it’s young. Leave the area.

Hares (jackrabbits, snowshoe hares)

What you should know:

• Young hares are easy to catch and appear helpless
• Precocial at birth – fully furred, eyes open and able to hop
• Mother hares’ natural behavior is to leave the young alone for most of the day, so her scent will not attract predators
• Mother hares nurse their young only at dawn and dusk

What you should do:

• If you find a young hare that is not obviously injured, leave it alone and do not handle it
• If you find a hare in a dangerous place (parking lot, road) try to steer it, without handling it, to a safer location less than 150 m. from where it was found.
• If a dog or cat finds the hare, remove the pet, not the hare.

Fawns

What you should know:

• Absence of the mother does not mean the fawn is abandoned
• Newborn fawns have very little scent, so predators can’t easily find them.
• It is natural for the mother to leave the baby fawn alone for most of the day so her scent will not attract predators.

What you should do:

• If you find a fawn quietly lying down, leave it alone.
• The doe will be reluctant to approach the fawn in the presence of humans.
• If the fawn is injured or in immediate danger, call a wildlife rehabilitator.
• Do not attempt to care for or raise a fawn. These animals cannot be returned to the wild because they are not afraid of humans.

Squirrels

What you should know:

• Precocial at birth – naked, eyes and ears are closed and they are totally dependent on their mother for survival.
• Mother squirrel only leaves the young when she is feeding
• Mother squirrel may move the litter if the nest is disturbed or destroyed.
• The young stay with the mother until they are 18 weeks old, but are weaned and eating on their own by 8 weeks.

What you should do:

• If you find young squirrels, monitor for an hour. If the mother does not return, contact a wildlife rehabilitator.
• Young squirrels can bite! Handle with gloves.

Wildlife Helpline for Alberta, Canada only

We now have a province-wide, toll free, Wildlife Help Line.
The number is 1-888-924-2444.

This project is financially supported by the Alberta Conservation Association

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