Only interfere in the case of wildlife if you are sure that the animal will benefit. Sometimes it is assumed that animals are orphans when they have just been temporarily left by their parents. In such cases, interference by humans only puts the animals through unnecessary stress and great risk to their survival.

If you are sure that an animal is orphaned, sick or injured and believe that human intervention could help the animal, reduce suffering or prevent the spread of disease then there are several options. In all cases, you must consider what is best for your own safety and the well-being of the animal. Capture is very stressful for wild animals and can result in serious injury to either the human captor, the scared animal or both. If you do not feel comfortable capturing the animal, call and wait for a wildlife rehabilitator.

Rescue Tips
If the animal is not very mobile (e.g. able to run quickly and climb) and you feel it is safe to do so, confine it to a box or cat or dog carrier in a warm, dark quiet place. The best way to do this to avoid injury and extra stress to the animal is to use heavy gloves and a thick towel and gently push the animal into a carrier or box turned on its side. Alternatively, you can place a box or recycling bin upside down over the animal, slowly shimmy a board or stiff piece of cardboard underneath, and then gently turn the box over and secure the board or cardboard on top of the bin using twine or rope. Ensure there are small air holes in the container or lid.

Place the container in a warm, quiet room, garage, or shed until we are able to return your call the next morning. Keep pet and human sounds away from the animal--it will feel safest if left alone. Place a soft piece of material that you are willing to throw away (e.g. a towel with no loose loops or thread or an old shirt) inside the container with the animal. If its a baby, GIVE THE BABY A HEAT SOURCE by placing an electric heating pad set on the “LOW” setting underneath half of the container. This is critical—babies outside of their den can become hypothermic even in warm weather.

If the animal is able to run and/or climb you may not be able to contain it in this way--try to monitor where the animal goes for the night, and we will help assess the best way to get the animal help when we speak with you directly.

Note: Even baby animals have the potential to cause injury to their handlers. Because some animals are carrier species for rabies (though this disease is extremely rare and a type of roundworm that can be harmful to people, it is strongly recommended that you do NOT handle animals directly.

Care Instructions
Please do NOT offer the animal anything to eat or drink until you have spoken with a wildlife rehabilitation centre. Although it may seem intuitive to feed it, doing so can endanger the animal in several ways:

• If it is an orphaned baby, it is most likely dehydrated and offering it any type of milk or formula can interfere with digestion and cause severe stomach bloating and cramping.
• Any liquid not administered properly can also easily be aspirated (breathed into the lungs), which can quickly escalate to pneumonia and possible death.
• Feeding can also seriously affect an animal’s health if it is suffering from trauma.

Please refer to the following resource for detailed information:
Orphaned Baby Wildlife Care

Please note, it is illegal to keep wildlife in captivity unless you have a wildlife custodian authorization from the Ministry of Natural Resources. Even though you may like the idea of raising baby squirrels or raccoons, there is a lot to know to ensure the animals get the proper nutrition and skills. All animals benefit from being raised with others of their kind. Small mammals generally need to be bottle fed the proper formula about 4 times a day for 3 months. They can easily aspirate their formula if the bottle or syringe feeding isn't done properly. With rehabilitation care through a qualified wildlife custodian, wild animals will get proper nutrition, vaccinations, medication as needed, veterinary care, socialization with others of their kind and opportunities to learn the skills they need to succeed back in the wild.

Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (hotline: 613.258.9480) - located in North Gower, Ontario. This wildlife rehabilitation centre takes in small mammals (skunks, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, porcupines, groundhogs, foxes)

Turtle S.H.E.L.L. Tortue (call 613.446.9927) - located in Rockland, Ontario. The centre provides rehabilitation for turtles. Their Emergencies page lists many convenient drop-off locations for injured turtles.

The Wild Bird Care Centre (call 613.828.2849) - located in the west end of Ottawa, Ontario. This well established centre provides rehabilitation for wild birds of all types. The website includes great instructions for interim care on the Rescuer Info page.

I found a baby bird

I found a baby mammal