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Rescue Guidelines

Not every baby is "abandoned," or is every solitary animal in need of assistance.  Read our guidelines to help you determine when and how you need to intervene, or when it is prudent to step away and monitor. 

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Remember, to any wild animal a human is a predator.  Be mindful of your appearance and approach.  To them a toothy smile equates to bared teeth and the bill of a cap looks like a large beak.  If after reading the guidelines and/or you have spoken to a rehabilitator and it is determined intervention is necessary, keep your voice calm and quiet, your smile covered and cap removed.

Call a Rehabilitator if the animal:

~Cannot fly or walk properly or is walking in circles
~Is bleeding
~Wings are not held evenly (one wing may droop, or is held higher

  than the other)
~Cannot stand upright, is limping, or limb appears broken

~Head is held at a tilt
~Has been attacked by a dog or a cat
~Flies are buzzing around it, or signs of maggot infestation ("rice

  kernels" or yellow patches under the feathers or fur)
~Has had an impact injury (hit by a car, flown into a window, or

  fallen from nest onto concrete)

~Parents are known to be dead
~Adult animals who can be easily approached

~Babies who exhibit begging behavior or follow humans or pets
~Babies who are out of the nest and are totally or nearly

  unfeathered (nestling), or mammals who are not furred

~Animal is shivering or feels cold to the touch

 

T/410-740-5096

If you have the animal:

~Make sure the box you have it in is small, well-ventilated and

  tightly covered

~Keep the box in a QUIET, dark, warm place
~Do not offer anything to eat or drink
~Keep the animal away from people and household pets

~Call a Rehabilitator for further instructions

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T/410-740-5096

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