How to help injured wildlife
- Moira Rosser-Peterson
- Aug 7, 2024
- 2 min read
~wildlife education~
Photo credit: istock.com/Wirestock
When you are out and about, you might come upon wildlife that needs assistance. With limited staff at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (NIWRA), we can’t respond to every call, so your help is needed. Catching injured wild birds or animals can be tricky but here are a few pointers that may help you out.
If you find a small, injured bird, throw a towel or blanket over it. Pick it up carefully and bring it to NIWRA or your local wildlife rehabilitation centre that way or place it in a box. Some mammals can be treated in the same way. However, in the case of wildlife with dangerous teeth and talons, you should get some help and not try to deal with them alone. The occasional brave soul has brought in eagles on their own to NIWRA, but they had no other choice - there was no help around.
Wildlife face calamity from many sources. Injuries from boat propellers, hay mowers, vehicles, power lines, windows, deforestation, encroachment, hunting… the list goes on. So, when you are out enjoying the outdoors, be aware of animals in need.
Keep rescued wildlife in a dark ventilated box away from human contact until you can get to a rehabilitation centre like NIWRA. Stress can be harmful or even fatal to a wild animal. The animal could die of a heart attack. Gently covering the head with a towel should calm it sufficiently.
Do not put injured animals in the trunk of your car or leave them in an unventilated hot back seat. What else can you use to carry an injured bird or small mammal that you find on a walking trail? Well, one ingenious hiker used his backpack to deliver a bird to us. Although a little cramped, the bird was fine but happy to get out.
Stress occurs when the animal is taken away from their own species or when improper handling or feeding techniques are used. Water deprivation will cause stress and quickly upset the animal. A stressed animal may exhibit behaviour such as struggling, screaming, biting, or refusing to eat or drink. Parasites flourish on a stressed animal. Stress can make an animal go into shock and die.
When rescuing an injured animal, be gentle and try everything possible to keep it from becoming stressed.
You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!
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