I found an injured animal, now what?

Bringing Wildlife to the Clinic

You’ve potentially found an injured wild animal and called the Wildlife Medical Clinic (WMC) to discuss what you should do. The volunteer at the WMC determines the animal should be brought in, but they tell you that they do not send volunteers out to pick up the animal, and that they can see the animal if you can bring it in. Oh no! You have never done this before! How can you safely capture and transport the animal??

Don’t worry, the WMC has advice on the dos and don’ts of transporting wildlife to the clinic. Remember, this is an incredibly stressful time for the animal, not only because of their injuries, but also because they are fearful of humans. It is important to know that proper capture and transportation is essential to the health of the animal. Stress from events prior to arriving at WMC can be very detrimental and could reduce the animal’s chances of being released! Do your best to follow these guidelines and to stay calm and quiet during this process.

Preparing for Capture

• Gather capture materials before approaching the animal.
  • Having a towel, blanket, or other light-weight material to wrap around the animal is important for providing a barrier between you and the animal and can aid in controlling the animal.
  • Thick work or gardening gloves are recommended to provide protection from possible bites and scratches.
  • An appropriately sized, secure carrier is important to have nearby to place the animal in after capture.
    • This can be a cardboard box, plastic bin with holes for ventilation, or a pet carrier. A container with an open top is not ideal because the animal could escape. The carrier should be lined with soft material that is not too stringy to avoid entanglement (T-shirt, towel, blanket).
• Capture
  • Calmly approach the animal and completely cover it with the towel or blanket.
  • Carefully restrain the animal as you pick it up and place it into the box. Avoid handling the animal for longer than necessary.

• Cautions
  • All wild animals have the potential to transmit disease to humans. Be particularly cautious with mammals, especially raccoons, coyotes and fox as they have the potential to transmit rabies if they are infected and you are bitten. This is why personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves and a towel, are very important. For mammal species that are carnivores, it may be advised to contact animal control for assistance with capture.
    • We unfortunately cannot accept any bats or skunks. If you find one of these species in distress, please do not touch the animal and call animal control for further assistance.
  • If capturing a raptor (hawks, eagles, owls, kestrels, falcons) be particularly cautious around their feet. While they can bite, they are more likely to talon you.
  • If capturing a heron or long beak bird, mind their beaks. They have long necks that can produce powerful strikes and a pointy beak at the end of that strike.
  • Avoid touching your face after handling the animal and its carrier. Washing your hands is a very important step to take after interacting with wildlife, even with gloves on! Disinfecting any items or surfaces that may have come in contact with the animal, the carrier, or unclean hands is a good idea as well.

Care

• If you cannot come to the WMC immediately after capture, keep the captured animal in a dark, quiet, and warm place in the meantime to reduce their stress.
• Do not attempt to feed or offer water to the animal. This can do more harm than good as they can aspirate or choke on what is offered. Additionally, the food may not be appropriate nutritionally as wildlife have very specific needs, especially young animals.

Transportation

• Place the covered, secure carrier on the floor or seat of your car. Make sure the carrier will not rattle or slide around during transport.
• Keep the car ride as quiet and smooth as possible. Noise will only stress the animal more during this time.
• Do not let someone hold the animal during transportation as it is dangerous for you, them, and the animal. Bites and scratches could occur. Furthermore, the animal could escape their grasp and cause dangerous hazards while driving.

In Conclusion

Thank you for caring about wildlife and helping when you can! We hope these tips have relieved your concerns about bringing in a patient! If you have any reservations or need further guidance for an injured, ill, or orphaned animal you found, please reach out to us at 217-244-1195 and we will do our best to respond to you as soon as possible.

Written By: Madelyne, Class of 2027