• Overview
• Wildlife facts 
• Prepare your house
• Before doing yard work
• What to do if you find a baby bird or a baby mammal

You Can Protect Our Wild Animal Friends

Every year, the earth provides us with endless opportunities to witness first hand the miracle of life in our own back yards. Beginning in February and continuing through October, it is wildlife baby season.

Like it or not we are all Nature’s Landlords and have a responsibility to provide safe and adequate housing for our tenants.  These tenants are hundreds of species of wildlife that have learned to adapt to the urban environment that we humans have forced on them.

• Birds nest virtually anywhere that offers protection from the elements;
  
• Rabbits scratch out nests in every part of the yard;
  
• Raccoons and squirrels take up residence in our attics;
  
• Opossums in the basement and compost pile;
  
• Deer are in the pasture;
  
• Foxes are in the culver; and
• Bats are under the shingles.

It is an invasion from all sides; we can suffer and fight them OR relish their presence and learn from them.  With just a little preparation we can enjoy the wonders of Mother Nature without the frustrations of property damage or the heart breaking realization that we have unintentionally caused the death of a helpless creature.

In general, these babies need only a 2-6 week time-share of your property, and they will be happy to leave on their own. 

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Did You Know...

1. It is illegal to possess wildlife or any of its parts without a special permit. 

• This means anything from wild baby turtles and snakes to songbird feathers.

2. Wild animals will care for their young after being touched by human hands.

• You can return them to their nests with guidance from an experienced wildlife rehabilitator.

3. Many baby birds leave the nest up to 5 days before they can fly. 

• This is perfectly normal behavior. Mom and dad will teach them the ropes.

4. Opossums are completely non-aggressive, take care of the pests that attack your garden, and are perhaps the least likely mammal in North America to contract rabies.

• They are our “Janitors of the Night”, and keep us safe from disease by sweeping the streets clean.

5. Feeding wild animals only serves to entertain humans and creates a false food source that will cause overpopulation and eventual problems for the species being fed. 

• Don’t participate in the problem, bring in pet food and water and your animals at night.

6. One free roaming domestic cat will kill between 200 and 400 small wild animals every year. 

• For information on how to keep wild animals safe and increase your cat's life expectancy by up to 30%, please see our information on saving 1000's of lives and cat enclosures. 

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• Check for loose woodwork, broken or missing vents
• Cover chimney with cap and dryer vent with hinged cover.
• Clean gutters of nesting material and repair downspouts.
• Keep greenhouse, porch and sun room doors closed or install screen door.
• Secure pet doors at night especially.
• Empty or cover all containers with liquid in them to avoid drownings or poisonings.
• Secure trash containers with a lock top that is raccoon proof.
• Never feed your pets outside. Even the smell of pet food left on the ground where the bowl was will attract wildlife.

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Before doing yard work...

• Survey your entire yard for rabbit’s nests in the grass and under bushes.
• Check bushes and trees for nests before trimming.
• Carefully inspect woodpile and compost for opossum, snake, raccoon, chipmunk, skunk, reptile and amphibian babies.
• Choose natural, non-poisonous lawn care products.

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If you find a baby bird...

• NEVER give food or fluids to any animal without first consulting a wildlife rehabilitation center.  Food and water can cause severe illness, even death for an already distressed animal.
• If it is not feathered or doesn’t move around well, place it in a box with a towel in the bottom and call the nearest rehabilitation center or the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to find the nearest rehabilitation center.
• If it is injured, place it in a box and immediately call the nearest rehabilitation center or the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to find the nearest rehabilitation center
• If it is hopping and has most of its feathers, watch from a hiding place (inside) for an hour or so.  You should see mom or dad caring for it on the ground until it learns to fly. They may even appear to be swooping down on it. They are chastising it for doing something wrong or teaching it to hide from predators. This is perfectly normal.
• Any other circumstance warrants a call to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center or the Department of Natural Resources.

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If you find a baby mammal...

• Do not touch the animal. Some mammals can carry rabies, and only a wildlife specialist should decide how to proceed.
• Keep the animal in sight, and immediately call your nearest wildlife rehabilitation center or your state's Department of Natural Resources to find the center nearest you.

Enjoy the Birth of Nature…AWARE is Here to Help

 (678) 418-1111

www.awareone.org