Wild Animal Emergency First Aid Tips

By Linda Archer

Birders usually spend lots of time in fields, woods, marshes, and other areas of natural habitat for all sorts of wildlife. If you are one of these, you may chance upon a wildlife individual who needs help. What to do?

First, keep yourself safe. Do not handle rabies vector species. Any mammal species can contract rabies, but it is most common in raccoons, bats, foxes, bobcats, otters, skunks, and coyotes. Call for help from Animal Services if one of these has been hurt and needs help. The Florida Wildlife Hospital* treats sick, injured, and orphaned individuals and receives many patients from Animal Services and Enforcement. The phone number for Brevard County Animal Services and Enforcement is 255-4327 Monday through Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM; and 633-9880 all other times.

Also, be very careful in trying to help birds with long beaks! Great Blue Herons, Sand hill cranes, Gannets, etc., aim for eyes or temples and can be very dangerous. If you pick up one of these birds, get and keep control of the beak. Also, be very careful in trying to help birds with long talons! All birds of prey will aim for you with their talons and can inflict serious damage and their beak will join the fray making matters worse for you. Even small animals like squirrels can inflict deep, hard bites numerous times, twisting and scratching to get away from you. Snapping turtles need something large and thick to bite if you try to move one. They also have sharp, strong claws. Opossums have more teeth than any mammal and they know how to use them repeatedly with great pounds of pressure per square inch! Snakes can be helped, but they won't thank you.

Secondly, many times people think animals need help when they don’t, especially baby animals. Bobcat kittens are often mistaken for domestic kittens, making people want to play with them which sometimes results in a bite or scratch. This may doom the person to a series of rabies shots. It will doom the usually healthy kitten to an always fatal test for rabies. Always, always use gloves and handle a kitten only if you are certain it is orphaned or if it is sick or hurt. Baby birds may be on the ground up to a week as they learn to fly. A parent is usually nearby. Moms visit baby rabbits just twice in the day – at dusk and dawn to feed them. Deer do the same with their fawn until it is strong enough to stay with the mother. All these moms may be helplessly watching and weeping from a safe distance as you carry off their infants!

Pelicans, juveniles and adults, are most likely to get on the wrong end of fishing gear. Wire cutters are handy to remove hooks, but barbs can take off flying themselves and can hit anyone nearby in an eye. Also, pelicans must have their beaks open to breathe properly, so never hold it shut tight!

So you see, to both keep yourself safe and help an animal, you need to be very careful how you handle the animal and decide first if you should handle it at all or call someone else. For many of our wildlife friends, special knowledge and/or equipment is essential. Although you are always to be commended for wanting to help an animal, don’t further risk their well being or yours by trying to be a hero without the proper preparation.

The animal’s welfare must be considered as you chose your course of action. Your actions should not cause the animal further injury and should minimize its stress by staying quiet, using slow movements, covering the animal, and keeping it warm. You may like air conditioning, but it can push a weakened animal beyond recovery. You may want to get additional knowledge and training and carry special items in your vehicle to safeguard yourself and any animal you believe needs help. You should at least carry appropriate phone numbers with you or a First Aid Kit!

* The Florida Wildlife Hospital tends to all sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife native to Florida, except alligators, manatees, and sea turtles, plus all migrating birds. The hospital is located 1.5 miles south of the Pineda Causeway on Rt 1 and is open every day from 9 to 5 with drop boxes after hours. Their phone number is 321.254.8843.