Squirrels, foxes, raccoons, turtles, snakes, deer, bats, birds, they are all around us all the time and we must learn to live with them, Carolyn Wilder with the Wildlife Rescue League told “Zoomers” at the Jan. 11 green breakfast talk sponsored by the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District. Bats in your chimney? Foxes denning under your deck? “Many wild animals have learned to live with us better than we’ve learned to live with them,” she offered.

Wilder discussed how and when to help wild animals and urged much caution and restraint when dealing with sick, injured or “nuisance” wildlife. She discouraged people from habituating an animal, especially. Animals should not lose their fear of people so she urged, don’t feed them, secure garbage cans and don’t leave pet food out at night.

If you find injured or orphaned wildlife, the first thing to do is call the Wildlife Rescue League’s wildlife helpline, 703-440-0800, or Virginia’s, 855-571-9003.

The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources website says that usually, handling wildlife “can do more harm than good” and offers detailed advice here: https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/injured/.

If you handle an injured or orphaned animal, wear gloves or use a towel, Wilder stressed. The animal may have fleas or mites and can bite. Put it in a box so it cannot get out and put a heat source under the box, like a sock filled with rice and heated in a microwave oven. Put the box in a quiet dark place and leave it alone. Contact a wildlife rehabilitator and follow their instructions.

Obey Laws

State and federal laws generally require permits to handle wildlife and clearly prescribe what people can and cannot legally do. For example, it is unlawful to have, sell or trap wildlife or keep wildlife as pets without a permit. It is unlawful to destroy a nest or den that has eggs or babies.

If you find injured wildlife, you can capture the animal temporarily and keep it as long as it takes to get the animal to a veterinarian or rehabilitator, Wilder said. She recommended trying to keep the animal warm, dry and quiet. “Do not feed it or give it water,” she advised, “unless a rehabilitator tells you that you should.”

On orphaned wildlife, she said that mammals have a good sense of smell and mothers almost always come back to their young. For baby squirrels, she recommended that if you find a baby on the ground, do not feed it; put it in a box under the tree where you found it. If the mother hears her offspring, she’ll retrieve it.

Some people consider the ubiquitous gray squirrel in Northern Virginia a problem, but Wilder said, “We do not know any way to get rid of squirrels. They are way too smart for us. They adapt to anything and everything.” 

On rabbits she said, “They are predator to nothing and prey to many.” Their nest is shallow on the ground and covered with grass. Mother cottontails only feed their young at dawn and at dusk. Then she covers them up in the nest and “does not hang around.” She urged people who find a nest to put twigs over it and return later. If the twigs were moved, the mother probably came back. If a dog is carrying a bunny, try to put the bunny back in the nest, but the baby rabbit likely has puncture wounds and will need a rehabilitator. Check for rabbit nests before mowing your lawn, she urged.

Some mammals (not opossums) are rabies vector species. Raccoons, foxes, groundhogs, skunks, bats and beavers transmit rabies through their saliva. Symptoms of rabies include lethargy, stupor, walking in tight circles, aimless wandering, unexplained aggression, eye or nose discharge, biting and convulsions. If you suspect a rabid animal, she recommended calling your local government’s animal control officers who can conduct a test.

Wildlife Rehabilitators

Wildlife rehabilitators are trained and licensed to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured, orphaned and sick wild animals back to their natural habitats and help people learn to coexist with wildlife. 

The Wildlife Rescue League, incorporated in 1984, is an all-volunteer group with 140 volunteers and 30 rehabilitators who work out of their homes. They have no building.

Many species of wildlife in our area adapt quickly to living around people. They are resourceful and self-sufficient. It is important to understand when they need human help and when people should leave them alone, Wilder summarized.

More Information

* Wildlife Rescue League, https://www.wildliferescueleague.org/, 703-440-0800

* Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, including licensed rehabilitators, https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife, 855-571-9003 

* Fairfax County Animal Protection Police, https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/specializedunits/animalprotectionpolice ; 703-691-2131