Rescuing Wild Animals

• First, determine if the animal is truly in danger.  If it is a baby animal and the parent is definitely dead, then help is needed.  If the animal is visibly showing signs of injury or distress, someone should step in and do something.  In any other situation, there is a great chance that if a human gets involved, we'll only make the situation worse.  The best test is to leave the animal alone for at least 24 hours.  If it is still there after 24 hours, then help may be required.
• Only licensed rehabilitators can administer treatment.  A concerned citizen can stabilize or isolate a wild animal in trouble, but if he or she tries to nurse a family of orphaned raccoons back to health and doesn't have a license, he or she is breaking the law.  Licenses are administered through the WDNR.
• An injured animal can be very dangerous.  Wild animals can be loaded with parasites and carriers of potentially lethal diseases.  No one (except rehabilitators) should bring a wild animal into his or her home.

If a person wants to help, he or she can stand near the animal, keep the animal in sight, or place a laundry basket over it to confine it and call the police department or wildlife sanctuary or rehabilitator.

Trouble with Wildlife?

• Trapping and relocating wildlife is NOT a humane alternative.  Moving wildlife from its environment into another animal's territory often leads to animal conflicts, starvation, or a quick meal for a predator.
• There are many humane alternatives that discourage wildlife from people's homes.  They work and the methods are easy to find.  They are usually species specific, thus there are few rules of thumb.  However, sharp smells like ammonia, continuous noises like a talk radio station, or constant light usually will keep an animal out of your home.  If it is a mother animal with babies, she will be reluctant to leave and it may be easier to wait until the mother and babies move on.  At that point, the hole can be sealed and the house made unattractive to nesting mothers.
• Understand that feeding the squirrels or other wildlife in the winter is a sure way to get wildlife living in your eaves come spring.  The best way to keep animals out is to never encourage them in the first place.

Additional Resources

Bat Conservation of Wisconsin

Provides education, research, management, inventory, and monitoring of bats for the state of Wisconsin.

 

General "Nuisance" Animal Information

Written for people answering wildlife hotline but good information for all.

 

Wisconsin Wildlife Rehabilitators

List of licensed wildlife rehabilitators maintained by the WI Department of Natural Resources.