FAQ

Sarcoptic mange in red foxes is a naturally occurring disease in canid species and is caused by a microscopic mite which results  in an inflammatory response and an extremely itchy, scaly rash, and  loss of fur.   

Foxes with mange are NOT an increased threat to humans and are not a public safety concern.  ACO's will not capture them for the purpose of treating mange unless they are severely ill and becoming human-dependent for food.   Also, it is illegal in Massachusetts to trap any wild animal.   Unless the fox is significantly compromised, they cannot be caught.

Let them be ... at least for now.

We understand the difficulty in seeing any animal suffer with injury or illness 🥺.  When the animal becomes more compromised and thus easier and safer to capture by hand, they can then be brought into rehab.  They can still be treated successfully.

Note:  Mange is zoonotic and can be transmitted to humans (and pets) and although the mite cannot reproduce on human skin, it can cause a very itchy rash.   Keep domestic pets away.

IMPORTANT:  Foxes are a RABIES VECTOR SPECIES.  They bite.  Do not attempt to hand-capture a fox without proper protective equipment; Contact your local ACO (animal control office) SETTING a TRAP IS ILLEGAL.

Just thinking of a baby squirrel alone and cold, having tumbled from their nest is heartbreaking.  Or perhaps a tree was cut down and now you have a nest full of babies and no mom in site.  

You can help them  ... and here's  how ...

What to do ...

The goal is to reunite the baby with mom.  Most often mom will retrieve them or feed them in a new nest.  Stay OUT OF SITE for mom to return.  

Click  link below for makeshift nest instructions:   

Important: Place the makeshift nest as high up the trunk of the tree as possible and make certain there are drainage holes if using a plastic material.  

https://www.wildlifecenter.org/re-nesting-baby-squirrels

No mom? ...

If mom does not return within 2-4 hours, retrieve the baby using gloves and put them in a small box with a blanket, and in a warm, dark, quiet room.  Contact a WLR immediately.  

Please Do Not Feed - anything!

Slow-moving opossums are frequently hit by cars as they dine on carrion in the road.  All too often they are mommas with a pouch full of newborns 🙁.   These babies can and should be saved.  

What to do ...

Contact  local police or Animal Control Officer to check for a pouch and determine if mom is deceased or viable.  

If mom is not viable, babies should be extracted from the pouch, wrapped in a blanket, kept warm in a box, and brought to a Wildlife Rehabilitator as quickly as possible.  

Depending on their age, they have a solid chance at survival with the right care. 

NOTE:  If there are babies on her back or around her, they are too young to be on their own.  They NEED YOUR HELP.  Using gloves and a blanket, put them into a box, in a warm, dark environment and contact a Wildlife Rehabilitator (WLR) ASAP.  

You are now an official   "Wildlife Rescuer!"                THANK YOU 🥰

Eastern Cottontail babies are born from March through October.  Each female may have up to 6 or 7 litters annually 😳.   Bunnies are prey animals and many don't survive to adulthood.  That is  nature.  Sadly, their biggest predators are domestic cats and dogs.   Bunny nests are often out in the open, in our lawns, and gardens.  They are simple shallow depressions in the ground lined with dry grasses, leaf litter and fur from the mom's belly.  The mom returns to the nest to feed  the  babies ONLY twice per day ... dawn and dusk.  She  does this intentionally so no to draw predators to the nest site.

When to help?

 If you believe the babies are orphans, and BEFORE you intervene, place 4 small skinny twigs or pieces of cotton string in a tic-tac-toe pattern across the top of the nest.  Keep humans and pets away.  Wait 24 hours and reassess the nest site.  If the tic-tac-toe pattern is disrupted, you will know that the mom is around and is caring for her young.  LET THEM BE. 

 If the pattern is not disturbed, OR if you know the mom has died (dead on road, predator, etc.), ... then it is time to act.

Carefully pick up the babies using gloves and place them in a small box with a blanket, or old t-shirt, etc., and place in a warm, dark, quiet, room.    

Baby bunnies are INCREDIBLY fragile.  

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT FEED - they WILL DIE 🥺   Baby bunnies have an extremely sensitive gut and they will already be dehydrated.  Giving any type of formula, fluid, or food  before the animals body temp is at a certain level and they have been rehydrated with the proper and warmed electrolyte fluid, will put them into shock and they will die within 24 hours.   

You are a kind and caring person (or you would not be reading this) and we need more of you! But please resist our natural human urge to feed or provide water.

They need YOU to be their Rescuer! ❤️

 Contact a Wildlife Rehabber immediately. 

Assessing whether a baby bird needs your help is integral to their survival.  Here are some guidelines.

Let Them Be:

• Fledgling Out of Nest (14+ days old; fully feathered; hopping, fluttering, walking on ground).  
  • It is normal behavior for babies to leave the nest to learn to fly.  They are still watched and fed by the parents and remain quite close to the nest site.  If the bird is in imminent danger of predation or human activity, pick up the bird and move no more  than 10 feet to a safer spot, perhaps closer to bush or trees nearby.  Keep dogs and cats away from the fledgling.  They may be there for 2-3 days.  Do not put back into nest.  
• Window Strike (small birds often fly into windows of homes and may fall to ground)
  • give the bird some time to rest on the ground; they often regain their bearings and fly off.  If the bird is in danger of predation etc., gently place it in an open top box to rest in a safe place until it's ready to launch.  If after an hour, the bird appears injured, see 'Needs Help' below. 

Needs Help:

• Injured baby or adult (e.g., broken wing, bleeding, or found in mouth of a cat).  
  • gently pick up baby, (if adult bird put a small soft cloth over it first); put into a small box; contact a rehabber or wildlife vet immediately. 
• Hatchling Out of Nest (< 4 days old; no feathers/naked, eyes closed, mouth unusually large for the head) if found on ground or anywhere out of nest ...
  • look for nest nearby (siblings should look the same). Pick up baby and put back into the nest.   If you cannot reach nest or see it, a makeshift nest is necessary so the mom can find and feed her baby.  Our friends and bird experts at Cummington Wildlife in the Massachusetts Berkshires share their methods and expertise ... https://cummingtonwildlife.com/hatchling.html

• Nestling Out of Nest (3-13 days old; a few to mostly short feathers, eyes open, cannot hop or move much on its own).
  • Same as hatchling; see above

Note:  Birds are protected by law. It is illegal to take an animal from the wild to care for or keep as a pet. If you determine that a baby bird needs care, please contact a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator for assistance.