What to Do If You Find Injured or Orphaned Wildlife

By Dr Duncan Houston

Finding a tiny bird on the pavement or a wild animal lying still can leave you afraid to walk away and afraid to do the wrong thing. That concern is understandable. The next step depends on the animal’s condition, species and surroundings.

A healthy youngster may be exactly where its parents left it. An injured animal may need help before the damage is obvious. This article will help you decide when to observe, when to call and how to avoid making things worse.

Quick Answer

Keep people and pets back, look for injuries from a safe distance, and contact a local wildlife rescue service or veterinarian if the animal is injured, weak, in danger or genuinely orphaned. Healthy fledgling birds and resting fawns often need space while their parents care for them. Do not offer food, water or medicine unless a wildlife professional instructs you, and never handle bats or other dangerous wildlife yourself.

Is the Animal Really Orphaned?

An orphaned animal has lost the parental care it still depends on. Seeing a young animal alone does not establish that its parents are gone. Equally, being small does not necessarily mean it still needs parental care.

The key clinical question is whether its behaviour fits its age and species. A feathered youngster hopping into cover is very different from a bird that cannot hold its head up. Watch breathing, posture, movement and responsiveness without chasing or touching it to test its reactions.

Healthy young animals usually have their best chance with their parents. The Wildlife Center of Virginia’s young wildlife guidance explains why assessing the situation before removal matters.

How Urgent Is the Situation?

Use the highest level that applies. This is a guide to the next action, not a diagnosis.

These action levels combine the Wildlife Center of Virginia’s emergency signs with the species-specific guidance below.

What Else Could Explain What You Are Seeing?

• Normal development: some young birds leave the nest before they fly well.
• Normal hiding: young deer may stay motionless while their mothers feed elsewhere.
• Injury: a collision or predator attack can cause damage beneath feathers or fur.
• Illness or exposure: infection, poisoning, chilling or overheating can cause weakness or abnormal movement.

Quiet does not always mean comfortable. An unusually approachable adult may be exhausted or injured. The combination of history and physical signs matters more than whether it looks calm.

When Is This an Emergency?

Get urgent professional help for an animal that is gasping, repeatedly falling over, unresponsive, bleeding heavily or unable to use a limb after trauma. Extensive wounds, exposed bone and seizures also need immediate attention.

Tell the rescuer about any cat or dog contact, even when you cannot see a wound. For birds, the RSPCA recommends treatment after a cat or dog attack because infection can develop despite apparently minor injuries. Small mammals caught by pets also need professional advice.

If several birds are sick or dead in the same place, keep people and pets away and contact the relevant wildlife or animal health authority. Do not collect them yourself; follow local avian influenza precautions.

What Should You Do Right Now?

1. Make the area safer

Bring pets indoors and move children back. Stop nearby gardening or machinery if safe. Do not enter traffic, climb an unsafe tree or chase an animal into a worse situation.

2. Call with useful information

Contact a local wildlife rescue service, authorised rehabilitator or veterinary clinic. Give the exact location, time found, apparent species, visible signs and any known attack or collision. A photo or short video taken from a distance can help.

Ask whether to leave the animal in place, attempt reunification or arrange transport. Confirm that the receiving service can accept that species before travelling. Local rules and rescue arrangements differ.

3. Contain it only when safe and advised

For a small animal that a rescuer confirms is safe to handle, use gloves and a towel to transfer it gently into a secure, ventilated box or carrier. Line the base with smooth cloth or paper. Keep it quiet and separate from pets.

Bats, snakes, birds of prey and large or powerful mammals need trained handlers. Gloves do not make these rescues safe. WIRES provides practical guidance on safe containment and specialist rescue.

4. Avoid feeding and overheating

Do not syringe water into the mouth or give milk, bread, pet food or medicine. Food and fluids can enter the airway, and young wildlife have specific nutritional needs.

A cold, very young animal may need gentle warmth under professional direction. Any heat source should be wrapped and kept off the animal’s skin. Do not automatically heat an animal that may be overheated or leave its container in direct sun. See the Wildlife Center’s guidance on warmth and feeding risks.

5. Arrange the next handover

For injuries or deterioration, call an emergency vet if the first service is unavailable. If a professional recommends temporary overnight containment, follow their instructions and agree when and where to hand the animal over. Temporary protection should lead to a clear care plan.

What If You Find a Baby Bird?

Feathered and hopping: often a fledgling

Many fledglings spend time on the ground while their parents continue feeding them. Keep pets away and observe from somewhere the parents cannot see you. If an otherwise healthy bird faces immediate danger, seek advice about moving it only a few metres into nearby cover.

For a healthy fledgling in a safe place, the RSPCA advises contacting a rescue service if parents have not returned after more than two hours of continuous observation from a distance. Do not use that waiting period for an injured or weak bird.

Bare or sparsely feathered: likely a nestling

An uninjured nestling generally needs its nest. If it is warm and you can safely reach the original nest, it may be returned. If the nest is inaccessible, the bird is cold or you cannot identify its life stage, call a rehabilitator promptly. A substitute nest needs advice, especially for a very young lone chick.

Bird parents do not normally reject their young because of human scent. The Wildlife Center’s baby bird guidance explains safe reunification. Ground-nesting birds, ducklings and other species have different needs, so do not assume every baby bird belongs in a tree.

What About Fawns and Baby Rabbits?

Fawns: mothers often leave young deer hidden for long periods. Leave a healthy-looking, quietly resting fawn where it is. Injury, persistent distress or a known dead mother changes the response. Contact a wildlife professional rather than attempting to capture or transport it. The RSPCA’s deer advice emphasises keeping a safe distance.

Baby rabbits: for species such as North American cottontails, mothers make brief feeding visits, commonly around dawn and dusk. An unattended nest is not proof of abandonment. The Wildlife Center’s cottontail advice identifies wounds, pet attacks, fly eggs and persistent crying as reasons to seek help.

There is no reliable universal “wait this many hours” rule for all young mammals. Ask a local rescuer to identify the species and set the observation period.

What If a Bird Has Hit a Window?

A bird may become more alert after a collision and still have a significant injury. If it has fallen to the ground after hitting glass, contact a wildlife rehabilitator or vet promptly. Do not throw it into the air to test whether it can fly.

The Wildlife Center recommends assessment after window strikes because eye and internal injuries can be difficult to recognise. Follow local handling precautions while arranging help.

What If You Find a Bat or Someone Is Bitten?

Do not touch a bat, including a baby bat or one tangled in netting. Contact trained rescuers. Rabies and related lyssavirus risks depend on location; Australian bats can carry Australian bat lyssavirus.

After a bite or scratch from potentially infected wildlife, wash the wound immediately with soap and running water for at least 15 minutes and seek urgent medical care. Bat saliva contacting the eyes, mouth or broken skin also needs urgent assessment. NSW Health explains first aid and post-exposure care.

If a bat was in a room with a sleeping person or unattended child and contact cannot be ruled out, contact a healthcare professional or public health service promptly. If exposure is possible, do not release the bat before receiving public health advice; ask professionals to manage it. The CDC’s bat guidance explains why even unnoticed contact matters. If your pet had contact, call your vet promptly too.

Common Mistakes That Make Things Worse

• Removing a healthy youngster immediately: first check whether the situation is normal for its species.
• Hovering nearby: your presence can prevent parents returning.
• Feeding to “give it strength”: incorrect food or feeding technique can cause serious harm.
• Repeated handling or photographs: minimise disturbance once it is safely contained.
• Releasing it because it looks brighter: an attack or collision still needs assessment.
• Trying to raise it yourself: recovery and release require specialist care and local authorisation.

How Can You Prevent Wildlife Injuries?

Keep cats indoors or in secure outdoor enclosures, and keep dogs on leads around nesting areas. Check long grass before mowing and shrubs before pruning; postpone work around active nests.

For cats suited to supervised outings, our article on taking your cat for walks explains gradual harness training. Keep them away from wildlife throughout.

Reduce window collisions with closely spaced markings on the outside of problem glass and turn off unnecessary night lighting. The Wildlife Center’s window safety advice explains practical options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I give an injured wild animal water?

Only if the vet or rehabilitator instructs you. Never pour or syringe it into the mouth. Safe fluid treatment depends on the species and its condition.

Can I keep wildlife at home overnight?

Sometimes a professional may recommend temporary containment until transport is available. Call first, follow their instructions and arrange a handover. An injured or deteriorating animal needs urgent help.

Will a bird’s parents reject it if I have touched it?

Human scent does not normally cause rejection. An uninjured nestling may still be reunited with its parents. Get advice if it is cold, injured or you cannot safely reach the nest.

My cat caught a bird, but it looks fine. Can I release it?

No. Contact a vet or wildlife rehabilitator promptly. Tiny wounds can be hidden beneath feathers, and treatment may be needed even when the bird appears alert.

Will the animal recover and return to the wild?

That depends on its injuries, age and species. A professional must assess whether it can recover the abilities needed to survive independently. Prompt assessment gives that decision the best foundation; apparent improvement alone cannot confirm readiness for release.

Give Wildlife the Right Help

You do not need to diagnose the problem or become a wildlife carer. Keep the area safe, recognise urgent signs and connect with someone equipped to help. Healthy youngsters often need their parents; injured animals need timely assessment. Knowing which situation you are facing is the most useful first step.

If you are unsure how urgent the signs are, ASK A VET™ can help you understand the next step. For injured wildlife, contact a local wildlife rescue service or veterinarian directly so hands-on care can be arranged.