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If you find an injured, sick or baby animal, there are a number of vital steps that you can take which will drastically increase the chances of survival.

Baby Birds and Animals

The first thing to remember when you find a baby animal, is that in most cases the animal should be left alone. Each Spring and Summer in particular, we are inundated with calls from people who find what they think is an abandoned young bird or orphaned animal. In many cases these youngsters have not been abandoned.

All too often we are presented with a baby animal that should have been left with their parents, this is particularly the case with birds.

After a few weeks, birds fledge the nest to become fledglings, therefore they have enough feathers to partly fly. They often leave the nest and live on the ground for a week or so, still being cared for by their parents until they can fully fly. Fledglings should not be moved unless they are in immediate danger.

Remember;

1. Baby animals stand a far greater chance of survival if they can be left with their parents.

2. Do not move a baby animal unless they are injured or in immediate danger.

3. What a young fledgelings bird constantly, often their parents aren’t far away and will return to feed them, but not if your frightening them off!

4. If you have to intervene and take the animal, keep quite, keep warm, keep them in the dark and DO NOT attempt to feed unless you know what you are doing.

Injured Animal or Bird

If you find an injured animal or bird, the most important first aid you can give whilst seeking help is to prevent shock. Injured wild animals go into shock and get cold very quickly, this will kill them very quickly if you do not keep them warm.

Therefore ;

• Keep the animal in a small secure box lined with shredded newspaper.
• Keep them warm, dark and quiet. Turn off the radio, talk quietly, and keep away from children and pets.
• Fill a plastic bottle with warm water and place in the box next to the animal to keep it warm, but the animal must be able to get away from it if it gets too warm.

DO NOT attempt to feed the animal or give them a drink until they are warm and you know what they eat/drink. If the animal is in shock, administering food or drink will further reduce the body temperature, often with fatal consequences. Don’t panic, it takes a long time to die of thirst or starvation, but little to die of shock.

Once they are settled and warm, Provide water and let them drink it if they want, NEVER give any animal or bird milk. DO NOT FORCE A BIRD TO DRINK WATER – very often we are presented with birds who have had water squirted down their beaks which in turn pours into their lungs and slowly kills them. Sick and injured animals often die from shock, not thirst or starvation. Trying to feed them will bring down their body temperature, also feeding them the wrong food can kill them.

We are often presented with animals that have also had inappropriate foods thrust upon them – if you don’t know what the animal eats normally then don’t provide it with feed. It amazes us how many people force pigeons to eat worms – they are seed eating birds, worms simply kill them!!

When we receive sick and injured animals we can quickly assess whether the animal is dehydrated whether it has recently eaten and whether it needs urgent medical attention. We will then prioritise and treat accordingly.

If you do find an injured animal then try and get in touch with a rescue centre as soon as possible. Don’t leave an animal in a box for 24 hours with food and expect it to eat.

Hedgehogs very often suffer from fly strike. In just 24 hours eggs can become maggots and these can literally eat a hedgehog alive. In a lot of cases hedgehogs have to be euthanased because of flystrike and in many instances this could have been avoided if the hedgehog had gone to a rescue centre earlier. Please phone us for advice if you are unsure.

Try calling us to help or advice ;

0845 4582813

Please remember we are volunteers, we cannot always help but we will certainly try.

Try calling Nottingham Based Animal Accident Rescue Unit on; 0115 9321 555.