If you are calling AFTER HOURS and have found a bird or animal...
please use gloves and secure the animal in a well-ventilated box or crate. Do not use bird cages as they are not safe for wildlife. Resist giving the animal food or water as may do more harm than good. Remove the animal from the stress of pets and people and keep it dark, safe and quiet overnight and call us in the morning.
BABY BIRDS:
** Fledglings are older baby birds often found hopping around the ground. The chances are good that they are not injured and their parents are close keeping watch over their youngsters as they learn to fly and fend for themselves. Do not pick up a fledgling baby bird unless you can determine that it is injured and needs assistance.
** An unfeathered baby bird found on the ground can often be placed back into the nest. It is a myth that the parent birds will not accept the baby once it is placed back in the nest.
** If you must keep a baby bird overnight, a baby bird needs heat. You can use a heating pad set on low, with a towel between the heating pad and box. If no heating pad is available, use a soda bottle, filled with warm water and wrapped in a washcloth. Do not feed the baby bird. Birds do not eat at night and to feed a baby bird an improper diet can be harmful to its health. Call us in the morning to make arrangements to bring it to us.
BABY MAMMAL:
** If you have found an infant mammal, the baby will need supplemental heat. A heating pad can be used, set on low, and placed on a towel between the heating pad and box. If a heating pad is not available, you can substitute a soda bottle filled with warm water and wrapped in a washcloth. Wrap the baby in a loose piece of fleece or washcloth. Do not feed the baby and call us in the morning to make arrangements to bring it to us. Feeding milk products or formula designed for human babies can be especially dangerous and feeding infants without guidance can lead to the baby aspirating (ingesting liquid into the lungs) and causing pneumonia and death.