• Obvious bleeding
• Obvious fracture 
• Severe head tilt
• Swollen, crusty and red eyes or obvious eye injury
• Animal is rolling or circling
• Adult animal is unable to stand
• Featherless or mostly featherless bird on the ground
• Obvious maggots or parasites
• It's a baby waterfowl, such as a gosling or duckling, or a baby Virginia opossum

• Skunks, bats, deer, or trapped nuisance animals
• Nonnative animals, including European starlings, house sparrows, pigeons and red-eared sliders
• Native wildlife raised as pets (efforts to reverse any taming or imprinting are unsuccessful)

Find out what do you do if you come across these wild baby species.

Baby Bird
Baby Raccoon
Baby Squirrel
Baby Cottontail

Never handle an adult animal without first consulting a wildlife professional. Even small animals can injure you!

Once you've contacted a wildlife rehabilitator who can help, describe the animal and its physical condition as accurately as possible. Wear thick leather gloves and long sleeves when handling wildlife or gently use a tool — such as a broom or shovel, when possible — to move the animal. Cover the animal with a heavy towel to help avoid contact and keep the animal calm.

1. Put the animal in a secure and safe container with good air flow. Shoe boxes, pet carriers, plastic food containers or cardboard boxes work well. Securely fasten the lid with duct tape.
   • For baby birds, line the bottom of the container with a towel to absorb
   waste products and provide secure footing and insulation. Add a plastic
   cup with tissue as an artificial nest for songbirds or raptors.
   • For baby mammals, place a towel inside the container so the animals have a place to hide.
   • For adult animals, line the bottom of the container with a towel to absorb waste products, and cover the container with a large towel for darkness.
2. Do not give the animal anything to eat or drink. It can choke or swallow improperly, leading to aspiration pneumonia. Babies are only fed by their parents; adults don't eat when scared and can be dangerous to approach. Most wild animals will not drink water from a cup, and leaving a water bowl with a young or debilitated animal could result in it drowning or a drop in its body temperature.
3. Place the container in a warm, dark and quiet place — away from pets, children and all noise (including TV and radio) — until you transport the animal. Keep the container away from direct sunlight, air conditioning and heat.
4. Transport the animal as soon as you are able. Leave the radio off and keep talking to a minimum. Keep the animal's space dark and quiet to limit its stress and help keep it alive.
5. Do not peek at, talk to or interact with the animal in any way.

Trapping and removing an animal is not always the solution to the problem. Removing the animal is illegal without the proper permits and only creates an open space for another animal to inhabit. A trapped adult may also leave young behind to die of starvation. Focus on removing the attraction, not the animal.

Never move young from a den.

Never use poisons. They're inhumane and may be illegal. They can also result in secondary poisoning of other wild animals or pets. 

It's illegal to keep wild animals, even for a short time. They have special nutritional, housing and handling needs, and inexperienced individuals who try to raise or treat them inevitably produce unhealthy, tame animals that can't survive in the wild. 

This section provides problem-solving advice and ways you can make your yard and home less attractive to wild animals.

 Bats
 Beavers
 Chipmunks & Ground Squirrels
 Coyotes
 Eastern Cottontails
 Mallards & Geese
 Opossums
 Raccoons
 Skunks
 Songbirds
 Tree Squirrels
 White-Tailed Deer
 Woodchucks
 Woodpeckers