13 simple things you can do to avoid harming wildlife..........

Most of the wild animals brought to our clinic suffer from injuries or problems caused by humans. Since most people try to avoid causing harm to other living things we decided to put together a list of things to do- or not do- to help wildlife. The list is in no particular order of importance, but if everyone followed these suggestions, our caseload would be dramatically reduced.

1. Prevent your pet cats and dogs from attacking and/or "playing with" wildlife. Don't allow them to run without supervision and raise your cats as indoor pets. Many injured animals are brought to the clinic each year with terrible wounds from dog and cat attacks.

2. Alert birds to large expanses of glass in your home, such as patio doors or picture windows, by hanging streamers, putting bird silhouettes on the glass surface, or allow the glass to be a little bit dirty. Reducing the reflection should cut down on the number of birds who collide, often fatally, with windows and doors.

3. Educate children to respect and care for all wild creatures and their habitats. Children need to learn that wild animals are not playthings and should be allowed to go about their lives unmolested. Children should also be told not to destroy nests, burrows and other wildlife homes.

4. Pick up litter and refuse that could harm wildlife, including six-pack connectors (after cutting each circle to reduce the risk of entanglement), monofilament fishing line, and watch batteries (if consumed by waterfowl they can cause mercury poisoning).

5. Be alert when driving, especially near wildlife refuges and in rural areas, to avoid hitting or running over wild creatures. Animals do not recognize the danger from an oncoming vehicle. And please stop and move any turtles away from the roadway or shoulder of the road.

6. As a general rule, leave infant wildlife alone, since they are not always truly orphaned. A parent may be nearby or will return soon. Be sure they are in need of help before you remove them from the nest area. If you find young birds on the ground, attempt to return them to the nest.

7. Place caps over all chimneys and vents on your roof to prevent birds, ducks and raccoons from taking up residence and becoming a nuisance or getting trapped.

8. Do not leave fishing line or fish hooks unattended or lying about outdoors. Try to retrieve any kite string left on the ground or entangled in trees.

9. Before mowing your lawn or rototilling your garden, walk through the area first to make sure no rabbits or ground-nesting birds are in harms way. Remember, it only takes a couple weeks for these babies to grow and leave the nest. Be tolerant and give them the time they need.

10. Check trees to make sure there are no active nests or residents of cavities before cutting them down. Even better, avoid cutting down dead trees if they pose no safety hazard, since they provide homes for a wide variety of wildlife.

11. Use non-toxic products on your lawn and garden.

12. Motor oil should not be left in oil pans unattended. Birds often fall into these pans and few survive.

13. Do not attempt to raise or keep wildlife yourself. Not only is it illegal, but wild creatures do not make good pets and captivity poses a constant stress to them. Young wild animals raised without contact with their own species fail to develop survival skills and fear of humans, virtually eliminating their chances of survival in the wild.

I found the information here valuable, but missing one thing that many wild animals die from.  Rescue will not be an option for the owl that eats the rat that ate the poison.

Rescue will not be an option for the coyote that eats the owl that ate the rat that ate the poison.

Rescue will not be an option for the Cougar that ate the coyote that ate the Owl that ate the Rat that ate the poison.

So don't kill all the way up the food chain. Don't choose rat poison.

Some great info for sharing our habitats with wonderful wildlife.  Teaching our children to observe some of these guidelines would go a long way toward helping preserve nature.

Every year thousands of young wild animals are found by people. Many of these animals do not need to be rescued!!

Your area wildlife rehabilitation facility can help you decide whether or not to rescue a young wild animal. The following information will help you to assess a situation before you call.

Am I an Orphan? An "orphan" is a young animal that is not able to care for itself and whose parents cannot be found or are known to be dead. If you find a healthy young animal that is able to walk and is fully feathered or furred, it may not need your help. Its parents are usually nearby. Observe the young animal from a distance for awhile before calling the wildlife rehabilitation facility.

Am I in Danger? Young wild animals in danger do not necessarily have to be taken from the wild, just protected from the danger. Pets and children are the most immediate hazard to a young wild animal in your yard. Pets may attack the young animal and children may cause injury by mishandling it. Some wild animals carry diseases. Keep pets and children away from the animal while you assess the situation with a wildlife rehabilitator.

Another danger is hypothermia. Nestling (infant) animals need to be brooded and kept warm by their parents. If a young animal is cold to the touch, tell the wildlife facility so they can advise you about what to do.

Am I Injured or Weak? If the young animal appears thin, weak or injured, it should be rescued and delivered as soon as possible to a rehabilitation facility. If an animal has been attacked by a cat or a dog, assume it is injured even if no injury is obvious. Pet attacks usually cause significant internal damage.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit - Eastern cottontails feed their young only at night. You will not find the female at her nest during the day. Rabbits leave the nest at a very young age. A small rabbit with its eyes open, ears standing up, and approximately five inches long is self sufficient and does not need your help.

Squirrels and Raccoons - Squirrels and raccoons will retrieve their offspring when they fall or wander from the nest. They also have alternate nest sites if one nest is destroyed. Give the mother raccoons and squirrels plenty of time to find and rescue their young before intervening.

Virginia Opossum - Opossums are marsupials. Their young stay in a pouch on the mother's belly. Female opossums that have been killed by cars may have live young in their pouch that need to be rescued

White-tailed Deer - A small fawn lying alone in a meadow is not necessarily an orphan! The female deer will protect her young from predators by leaving it alone in a secluded spot. A fawn in trouble will usually be wandering around making distressed sounds. Do not attempt to rescue a fawn until you have discussed the situation with a rehabilitation facility.

Songbirds and Birds of Prey - Nestling songbirds and birds of prey (hawks and owls) usually lack feathers or are covered with down. They are not yet able to perch. These young birds can be placed back into their nests if at all possible.

When songbirds and birds of prey leave the nest they are "fledglings" and have feathers covering their bodies. They leave the nest before they are able to fly well and often are in danger due to introduced predators such as domestic cats. If possible, remove the danger and place the young bird under cover of shurbbery or on a tree branch. Watch from a distance to be sure the adult birds are caring for the young bird.

Waterfowl - Young ducks and geese are often separated from the rest of the brood as they follow parents to food or water. When you find a young duckling, note the location of possible places where the rest of the brood may be, then call a rehabilitator for advice on how to reunite the youngster with its family.