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Wildlife FAQ's
We are located in southeast Lincoln County near Denver, NC. An address will be provided only when transporting an animal to CWCC.
No, we are not. We keep a low stress environment for our in-care wildlife by limiting human contact. Call us for more information about our private tours.
Carolina Wildlife is currently accepting volunteer applications. Please go to the volunteer tab at https://www.carolinaconservation.org/volunteer to learn more.
We are licensed wildlife rehabilitators by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. We are not authorized to hold any wildlife other than those animals in the process of being rehabilitated for release. Specially permitted animals are authorized to stay in captivity for educational purposed only. We rehabilitate all native mammals and reptiles. We are also rabies vaccinated and keep our titers up to date.
Five signs that wildlife needs help:
Injury - bleeding, limping, swelling, dragging a limb, wing dropping, flies buzzing around the animal
Illness - runny nose/goopy eyes, insects crawling on and around, limp or barely responsive, coming up to humans
Orphaned - Parents are 100% without a doubt known to be dead. It is important to know the species variations for this as lots of animals will leave their babies unattended for long periods of time. Check out our “found wildlife” page to learn more about the baby you have found.
Abandoned - reuniting attempts have failed, infant is distressed, weak, injured, or ill.
Danger - immediate and/or life threatening, a pet is stalking it, it is in the road (besides a turtle, just help it cross) etc.
Please follow the information on the found wildlife tab. If the animal is injured, gently and carefully place the animal in a box with air holes in a dark, quiet and warm space. You can place a heat pad set on low under half of the box. Do not attempt to feed, water or take care of the animal for yourself. Not only is it illegal to keep wildlife without proper licensing but it can cause more harm than good, including death. Please call us immediately for more information.
Please keep all pets inside and do not disturb the wildlife. Remember, wildlife is scared of you and will use their last bit of energy to flee. We want to make sure that an injured animal does not run off before we can safely help them. Depending on the location and timing, we will try to come and get the animal as soon as possible.
Wildlife can handle a significant amount of time before they starve. Improper feeding techniques, even just water, can cause aspiration which can kill the baby! Improper diets or formulas can cause more harm than good and potentially kill the baby. It is especially important not to feed orphaned babies as their mom will not come back to retrieve them if they smell unfamiliar.
If the babies (excluding opossums) do not show any signs of injury, or have not been in a pets mouth, then a reunite attempt can be made. Please refer to the Found Wildlife page of our website for species specific information. First thing to know, a mother will not retrieve a cold baby, even on the hottest of days, eyes closed babies cannot thermoregulate and will get chilled. Place the baby in an open container that mom can access easily with a heat source such as a warm water bottle under a towel or blanket. Placing the babies in sunlight is not how to keep them warm as unfurred babies can get sunburn. Keep the area very quiet so that mom feels safe to come and retrieve her baby, this means keep your pets and yourself inside! Mom will not come with you around. Check on the baby 2-3 hours later and if the mom has not returned, call CWCC. Please remember that a mom will not retrieve a fed baby so do not attempt to give it anything, even water!
Opossum babies: reuniting cannot be done with Opossums as the mothers have many other babies to care for that she doesn’t notice if she looses a baby or two, if you have found an orphaned opossum, call CWCC.
A nice warm attic? Who wouldn’t want that for their babies? Most likely, you! We understand that squirrels and other wildlife in your house can be frustrating, however, there are ways to safely move the animals back outside without harm to your or them, everyone wins! First, locate the litter and then pinpoint how the animal is entering the home. Make plans on how to close off the entry point. Once mom is sealed off from the house, you can safely place the babies outside by the opening using the reunite guidelines under gray squirrels. Once the babies start screaming, you will be amazed at how fast mom comes running.
We can help! We work with a network that will provide safe and humane relocation of snakes. But keep in mind that the non-venomous snakes might just be helping out with your venomous snakes and rodent population.
First and foremost, DO NOT BE A FAWN-NAPPER. A doe will leave her babies alone all day to distract from predators, or the baby simply cannot get up. A fawn is in need of help IF AND ONLY IF the baby:
1. Is bleeding, has an open wound or a broken bone
2. It’s covered in fly eggs, they look like grains of rice
3. It is crying nonstop for hours on end
4. It appears weak AND is laying on its side
If none of these are true, then the fawn is healthy and waiting for its mom to return. Please do not steal fawns away from their mothers.
If one of the above is true, then the fawn needs help. DO NOT FEED IT OR CHASE IT. Call us instead.
Momma rabbit will purposefully stay away from her nest to avoid predator attention. She will only return at dawn and dusk to briefly nurse her babies. The main thing to do when uncovering a nest is to leave them be. If you are unsure if the mom is returning, you can place string in a tic tac toe pattern across the nest and return the next day to see if the string has been disturbed indicating that the mom has returned. If the nest has been flooded or a dog or cat has disturbed the nest, they need outside care so please call CWCC.
WRONG! First thing to note, bat populations are declining and several species are listed as either threatened or endangered on the IUCN Redlist. It is illegal to harm or kill any bat, even if they are in your home or business. We repeat, it is illegal to harm these animals and wildlife officers are cracking down on offenders because of the seriousness that bat species face.
Do you hate mosquito bites or the buzzing of mosquitos in your ears? Well, you want bats around as they are insectivores and help rid you of those little pests.
Please visit Bat World Sanctuary website at www.batworld.org/what-to-do-if-you-found_a_bat/ for more information on how to safely help the bat out of your space. If you have found what you believe to be an uninjured orphaned pup, please give mom a chance to come and get her baby. Remember, bats are nocturnal so giving her the cover of dark is important in reuniting mom and baby.
It is important to note that like all mammals, bats are susceptible to the rabies virus. While records indicate that only 0.5% of bats are positive for rabies, every precaution needs to be taken to avoid any skin contact with the animal.
Killing coyotes will make more coyotes! When coyotes are shot, poisoned, trapped, their response to the breaking up of their pack and decrease in population is to double or triple their litter size. It will cause more females to come into heat, disperse and start breeding. Coyotes use howls and yips as a population measure. When their howls go unanswered, their biological response is to produce larger litters that can be up to 16 new pups!
Wrong! If you see one of the critters during the day, do not assume that it has rabies. The increase in caloric demand for mom goes up tenfold for a nursing mother. There is just not enough hours in the night for her to get all the nutrients she needs or to get the needed hunt in to feed her young, This means that these animals will be seen during the day, it is normal! Both of these species do not pose a threat to humans or pets unless they are sick or protecting their young. If you see these critters acting unusual, such as charging at you, salivating, wobbly or falling over then contact your local animal control. DO NOT HANDLE these animals.
"Sarcoptic mange is the name for the skin disease caused by infection with the Sarcoptes scabei mite. The mites are microscopic and can’t be seen by the naked eye. Female Sarcoptes mites burrow under the skin and leave a trail of eggs behind. This burrowing creates an inflammatory response in the skin similar to an allergic reaction. The motion of the mite in and on the skin is extremely itchy, as is the hatching of the eggs. This creates a further allergic reaction and more itching, loss of sleep and reduced immune response. Loss of fur, scaly skin and a general unthrifty appearance is characteristic of a Sarcoptic mange infestation. The condition worsens as a skin infection sets in. The foxes immune system is even more compromised and internal parasites (tape, hook and roundworms) begin to take over and absorb any nutrients that fox may find. Mangy foxes are usually starving in the late stages." - Fox Wood Wildlife Rescue
Warming a baby is the best way to keep them alive. A warm baby is the number one necessity when providing care to wildlife while a licensed rehabilitator is located. There are several methods to keeping an animal warm. It is important to keep infant wildlife warm because many cannot thermoregulate on their own at a young age. Several different methods to keep them warm are putting a heat pad on low underneath the box or container they are in. Put a blanket in with the animal or towel. Place a warmed water bottle wrapped in a cloth next to the baby. Do not touch the water bottle directly to their skin. Place a sock filled with dried rice or beans in the microwave to warm and place a cloth over and set with baby.