What you should do if you find an orphaned wild animal

News Release
MNR

If you find juvenile wildlife that appears to be orphaned, sick or injured, avoid contact to prevent bites and scratches. Some species can carry diseases and parasites that are harmful to humans.
Injured wildlife also requires specialized and immediate care to recover and return to the wild.
Signs of orphaning, injury or illness may include:
Blood, wounds or swelling on the body
·Lethargy
·Body covered in fleas
·Unusual or uneven loss of fur or feathers
·Vocalizing and/or following humans around
·A fawn that is wandering around
·Contact with a domestic cat
-Difficult or raspy breathing or sneezing
-A dangling leg or wing
-Closed eyes
-Head tucked under wing
Orphaned Wildlife
It is normal for some species to leave their offspring temporarily alone, especially during the day.
For example, deer and cottontail rabbits spend much of the day away from their well-camouflaged offspring to minimize the chance of predators finding them.
To determine if young wildlife is truly orphaned:
Check the animal periodically for 24 to 48 hours to see if it is still around, but keep your distance.
Keep cats and dogs away from the area where the young animal is; the adult will not return if it is noisy or if predators or people are close by.
Care Necessary To Help The Animal
If you find an injured, sick or orphaned wild animal, contact a wildlife custodian who can provide the specialized and immediate care necessary to help the animal.
If you must handle it, seek the advice of a wildlife custodian to minimize risk of injury to yourself and to the animal.
Wear protective clothing and equipment, such as leather gloves, to avoid bites or scratches, and wash hands well after handling the animal.
Under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, a person may only keep wildlife for 24 hours to transport it to a veterinarian for treatment or to a wildlife custodian for rehabilitation or care or to relocate it following capture as a problem animal.