What should you do if you find an injured wild animal?

Tennessee state law and federal regulations prohibit individuals from keeping wild animals without a permit. This is done for the welfare of the animal itself as well as for the protection of the person who found it.

The first thing you should do if you find a wild animal that appears to be injured is attempt to determine if it really needs help.

Some animals, such as deer and cottontail rabbits, leave their young for several hours a day. Songbirds can come and go from the nest so quickly that you miss them if you aren’t watching closely. And a hawk on the ground with its wings spread out may just be eating dinner.

If you can answer yes to any of the following questions, then the animal may need assistance:

Does the animal attempt to escape?
Is it an adult animal that could be easily captured?
Does it have an obvious injury, i.e. bleeding, puncture wounds, exposed bone?
Does an adult bird remain on the ground when the others leave?
Is it a nocturnal animal that is out during the day?
Pinkie baby (no fur/no feathers) out of the nest and the nest cannot be located?
Is it entangled in litter or fishing line?
Is it trapped and unable to escape?
Has a cat or a dog attacked it?

If you determine the animal is in need of assistance, please contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

If the animal you have found is a bat, raccoon, skunk, fox or coyote, do not attempt to handle the animal. Call LouAnn Partington at 931-393-4835 or Sharon Reagan at 931-962-1184 for further instructions. These animals can carry rabies.

Because state and federal regulations prohibit unlicensed individuals from caring for wildlife, we are not able to give out feeding instructions. However, we can offer emergency instructions until you are able to get the animal to a wildlife rehabilitator.

Please handle any injured/orphaned animal that you have found with care. Over handling an animal can lead to stress-related death. Since wild animals can have communicable diseases, you should always wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after any contact with the animal. If the animal bites you, it may need to be euthanized and checked for disease.

Emergency Instructions for Orphaned Wildlife

Emergency Instructions for Injured Wildlife

If you have found an injured animal please follow these instructions:

Prepare a cardboard box or pet carrier by placing a towel or rags inside. Please make sure there are no loose threads or strings on the towels or rags as the animal may get caught and further injure or kill itself. The box should only be large enough for the animal to rest comfortably in, but not so large that it can thrash around and cause further damage. Make sure there is adequate ventilation.

Wear heavy gloves to prevent risk of injury or transfer of diseases.

If the animal is small and not attempting to bite, scratch, or puncture you with talons, pick it up and place it in the container.

If the animal is large or attempting to do any of the above, gently use a broom or similar item to scoot it into the container. If the animal is winged, you can throw a sheet or blanket over it and slide it into the box.

Make sure that the transport container is secure. Many animals can squeeze through the smallest of gaps and can push or pull with great strength when scared. Some animals such as chipmunks or squirrels can chew through cardboard. Loose animals in cars can be a dangerous situation.

Place the container in a warm, dark, quiet place away from people and pets to reduce its stress until you are able to get it to a local wildlife rehabilitator.

Keep the animal warm by placing a heating pad on the LOW setting under only HALF of the animal’s box or carrier.