Wildlife Care

Barred Owl
For Emergency Wildlife Care please call (251) 221-5000
ext. 3 or (251) 767-7253.
For a copy of our Wishlist and/or Wildlife Adoption
Form please visit our Forms page.
♦EMERGENCY WILDLIFE
INFORMATION♦
Until an injured wild animal can be brought to the Environmental
Studies Center please do the following:
-when
handling the animal use gloves or a towel.
-place
the animal in a box with shredded newspaper or a
t-shirt.
-keep the
animal quiet and warm.
-do not
feed the animal.
The Environmental Studies Center does not have a pick up
service for injured wildlife. The animal must be brought to
the Center in order for us to care for it.
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♦BABY SQUIRREL
INFORMATION♦
The Environmental Studies Center is now only taking injured
squirrels and not babies. If you find a baby squirrel, the
best thing to do is to, return it to its mom. Put it in a hanging
plant basket with holes and put pine straw or grass in the basket
to make a nest. Hang the basket next to the tree trunk that
the baby was found under. The mom will climb down the tree trunk,
in order to retrieve the baby, and return it to their
nest. It is ok if the baby has been touched.
Paternal instinct is very strong in animals and they do not abandon
their babies if there is human scent on them. Do not leave
the baby on the ground because predators and ants can get to the
baby. If you have further questions about baby squirrels
contact the Alabama Department of Conservation office at 626-5474
or the Game Warden, Brad Simpson, at 331-3317.
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♦WHAT TO DO WITH WILD BABY
BIRDS♦
There are two types of baby birds: nestlings and
fledglings.
--A nestling is a baby, without feathers or with pin
feathers, that has not left the
nest.
--A fledgling has feathers and is learning how to fly. It
does not return to the nest once it leaves it.
If a nestling is found, it should be returned to its'
nest. It is ok to touch the baby because birds have a bad
sense of smell and the parents will not smell your scent on the
baby. If the nest cannot be reached, make one out of a
hanging plant basket. Poke holes in the bottom, line it with
pine straw or grass, and hang it in a bush or tree near the
location that the baby was found. The parents will return
when they hear the baby cry.
Fledglings are learning to fly, so they do not stay in the
nest. If a fledgling is found, please leave it alone.
If it is on the ground, put it in a bush so that it is less
vulnerable. The parents are not always with the baby because
they are looking for food to feed it. Again, touching it will
not harm it or cause the parents to reject it.
Baby birds should be taken in only if one of the following
occurs: both parents are positively dead, the baby is
injured, or the baby is in real danger. When taken in, the
baby should be placed in a dark box and brought to the
Environmental Studies Center. It is against the law to keep
any wild bird without a permit and it is also best for the bird if
it is cared for by a knowledgeable person. Raising a baby
bird takes a lot of time. In fact a nestling has to be fed
every 20 minutes from dusk to dawn. The best thing to feed a
baby, until it can be brought to a wildlife rehabilitator, is dry
dog or cat food that has been soaked in water. Never give it
liquid with an eye dropper!