what do YOU do if you find an injured animal?

[nightshade]

What do you do who do you call if you knock down an animal,who do you call?
who needs to know,should you report it to someone,is the information useful to any collators
has any one been appalled by the lack of response to your pleas for help?
do the phone numbers only work in office hours?

[fbcpmike]

Depends what the animal is,

Dogs - you should inform the police, don't know why, possibly licensing laws.
Anything else - the local vet, if you know who it is. In my dealings, not that I have hit any animals, only found them, the local vet is usually very helpfull.

Also try -
RSPCA - again in my dealings they are not too helpfull. (If it involves dogs they usually point you to the Police or Dog Warden). Unofficially I have had them advise me to shoot the animal.
Local wildlife rescues - usually very helpfull.

[Fourwings]

Originally Posted by fbcpmike

RSPCA - again in my dealings they are not too helpfull.

I have found that as well, when it comes to wild animals they just don't want to know most of the time.

If you find an injured Badger, get in contact with your local county Badger group, the RSPCA willhave their contact number, they have people who will come out and deal with Badger emergencies and are always a great source of help and advice. A word of caution though, even badly injured Badgers can bite!!, stay with them until help arrives but don't touch unless you know what you are doing

There are now also many excellent wildlife hospitals springing up over the country, they can deal with most things mammals, birds, reptiles etc.... there again the RSPCA will have their number.

[Boddie]

Spotting a baby animal on his own doesn't mean he's an necessarily an orphan. Many wildlife parents leave their young alone during the day, sometimes for long periods. The parent is usually nearby and is more often than not fully concious of the activities of their young. Also, bear in mind that despite their small size, many adolescent animals are actually independent enough to fend for themselves.

How can you tell if an animal needs your help or should be left alone? Here are some general signs to look for:

A wild animal presented to you by a cat or dog needs to be looked after.
Bleeding is an obvious sign of trauma.
An apparent or obvious broken limb needs treatment.
A featherless or nearly featherless bird (nestling) on the ground requires to be nurtured.
A shivering animal requires assistance.
Evidence of a dead parent nearby provides some indication that the young is vulnerable.
If a wild animal exhibits any of the above signs, you should immediately call one of the following local resources for assistance. You will find listings for most of these in your telephone directory.

Wildlife rehabilitator
Animal shelter
Animal control agency
Wildlife/exotic animals veterinarian
Nature center
Wild bird store
State wildlife agency
Once you've contacted the right person, describe the animal and his physical condition as accurately as possible. Unless directed otherwise, here's how you can make an animal more comfortable for transport or while you're waiting for help to arrive:

Punch holes, from the inside out, into a cardboard box or other container. A paper bag may be suitable for most songbirds.
Line the box with a clean soft cloth, a pillow case or t-shirt will suffice.
Put on gloves. Everybody should have a sterile pair of gloves in there vehicle incase of any emergency.
Use a towel or pillowcase to cover the animal, then scoop him up gently and place him in the container.
Do not give the animal food or water. He could choke, develop digestive problems, or drown. Many injured animals are in shock, and eating or drinking can make it worse. An animal in shock may have such a low heart rate that it ill appear deceased - never presume this until confirmed by a professional.
Place the container in a warm, dark, quiet place—away from pets, children, and noise—until you can transport the animal.
Transport the animal as soon as possible. While in the car, keep the carrier out of the sun and away from direct air conditioning or heat. Behind the driver, or front passenger seat is best. Keep the car radio off and talking to a minimum.
Never handle an adult animal without first consulting with a wildlife professional. Even small animals can injure you and you may require a tetanus injection should your skin suffer trauma.
Remember, many animals who appear to be orphaned are not. Unless one or more of the signs mentioned above is present, do not attempt to rescue animals in any of the following circumstances:

A fawn (baby deer) who is curled up in the grass and appears approachable. His mother is most likely out of sight, but nearby and watching you. You are best to iew for a while and try to provoke the mother to attend the situation.
A bird who is fully feathered on his body with evidence of tail feathers, hopping on the ground, but unable to fly. This is a fledgling (adolescent bird), and his parents are probably nearby.
A Rabbit who is four inches long with open eyes and erect ears. She is independent from her mother and able to fend for herself.
A squirrel who is nearly full sized, has a full and fluffy tail, and is able to run, jump, and climb is independent.
Most wildlife charities or the RSPCA have an out of office number that a 'on call' vetinery surgeon may be called on.

[Pat]

Very informative Boddie. It would also be a good idea for people out walking to carry a list of telephone numbers with them or put them on a mobile.

[henrya]

Any big animal that doesn't run away needs help.

There are not always signs, to untrained people, of internal injuries. I was told of a Fallow Deer that was kept in a garage for several weeks, that appeared to have no injuries. When it died, a post mortem revealed it had a badly fractured pelvis.

henrya

[Boddie]

Pat is correct, it is always a good idea to have phone numbers at hand. I am also a great advocate of having medical equipment in the car, not always practical, when walking, I know but latex gloves are cheap and should always be carried.

[Tragus]

The most important thing to remember when attempting anything involving wild animals...IS YOUR OWN PERSONAL SAFETY!!
This cannot be stressed enough, it's all very well to go dashing around trying to save a creature that at first sight appears to be injured or in distress only to find you are dodging traffic, gettting swept away in some river or climbing a tree you can't get out of. Take my word for it...these things DO happen.

I am at the receiving end of wild animals that are injured and orphaned every day. My job is to ensure that PEOPLE are doing what they can for an injured animal bearing in mind they themselves remain safe. It is not only talons, beaks, claws and teeth that can harm you, but Zoonoses too, which cannot be seen that can do YOU harm.

As a wildlife rehabilitator in a rescue unit my advice when finding any animal in distress or obvious pain is to ensure that animal does not run away first. This can be simply achieved by placing a towel, blanket or even your jumper over its head. The animal will instantly quieten, this enables you to then think about your next step.

This of course all depends on whatever bird, mammal or reptile you are trying to help. Each animal has its own set of protective intincts, usually flight not fight. There are exceptions to the rule of course and a cornered Badger may try and bite...more often it will tuck its head in and curl into a tight ball.

Boddie has given extremely good advice, and I will follow it up by saying...ensure YOU are SAFE first before attempting any heroic acts.
If anyone has any further questions relating to rescuing individual types of creatures, I will be only to happy to offer some advice.
Cheers! Tragus

[Boddie]

Hi Tragus

You know I read most of the advice that I put up through various sites and applied a little common sense but you could not be more correct. I can imagine it is all to easy to get carried away trying to help a creature that is no doubt unaware of your good intentions and would ultimately try to defend itself but i can imagine that a nick from anything to a small bird to a Badger for example would have ny cursing the 'unappreciateive little swine' and maybe thinking twice, so fantastic advice.

May I ask however what is a Zoonoses?

[Tragus]

Hi Boddie

Basically Zoonoses means any disease that is transmissable between animals and humans, for eg: Rabies, TB, Psittacosis..

Here's a link to all sorts of things to do with Zoonoses ..

http://vetgate.ac.uk/browse/cabi/e17...969611dfc.html

But please don't have nightmares after reading some of this stuff

One bit of advice to those who feed birds is to regularly clean your feeding stations and to wear gloves, this prevents spread of disease not just to humans from birds, but from birds to birds.

Tragus

[Helen]

Originally Posted by Tragus

One bit of advice to those who feed birds is to regularly clean your feeding stations and to wear gloves, this prevents spread of disease not just to humans from birds, but from birds to birds.

Good advice, but I'd also like to point out, that on occasion when a bird does get sick, don't beat yourself up about it, it's more than likely nothing to do with your hygienic routines.

I had a couple of finches die last year, classic case of salmonella. I kept the feeders and surrounding area clean, that was all I could do. I know someone who works for the RSPB who also told me not to worry about it, as long as it is only the odd bird infected, and not obviously a flock of them!

[Boddie]

Thanks Tragus,

Not only have I learnt a new word but it will earn me good points in Scrabble from what would normally have been fairly useless letters. I'll let you know as soon as I get it down as a seven letter word (an extra 50 points) having cadged someones 's'

Zoonoses - excellent