The question comes up (several times) weekly on Arlington social media–someone spots an injured bird or raccoon or bunny and wants to know what to do to help. Or what about dead wildlife? Here’s some guidance.
FOR INJURED WILDLIFE: CONTACT A WILDLIFE REHABBER!
Wildlife rehabilitators (rehabbers for short) are licensed by the state (or in the case of migratory birds, the federal government) to treat injured, ill, or orphaned wildlife. They should be who you reach out to first and foremost. We are lucky that here in Arlington we have several wildlife rehabbers, including:
JoAnn Sequeira, who focuses on mammals, including bunnies, squirrels, and raccoons. Her number is 781-641-2128 (in addition to calling if you can’t reach her, leave a text message with details of animal).
Beth Logan Murphy, who focuses on mammals and is one of the very few bat rehabilitators in the state. Her number is 781-819-4996 (likewise text as well as call).
Both Beth and JoAnn are part of NEW ARC – North East Wildlife Animal Rehabilitation Coalition, which is a nonprofit network of wildlife rehabbers in the area, so you can also visit that website and contact other rehabbers for mammals if JoAnn and Beth are not available.
Salem Wildlife Rescue also treats small mammals. Their number is 978-594-2652.
Other mammal rehabbers that are farther afield but often have more capacity include:
Newhouse Wildlife Rescue in Chelmsford (works with rabies vector species, including foxes, groundhogs, otters)
New England Wildlife Center (NEWC) in Weymouth
Tufts Wildlife Clinic (see tab for “found wildlife” top tab, second from the left)
Please be aware that baby bunnies are left most of the day in their nest, a depression in the ground, usually covered with grass and tufts of their mother’s fur. Moving the nest more than a few inches can kill the bunnies as mom will not return to feed unless in the exact location she left them in. If you find a nestling baby bunny (eyes closed) outside the nest please return them there and loosely cover with grass and leaves (unless bunny has been mouthed by resident dog or cat, see more info below). Mom only visits the nest twice, or sometimes just once, every 24 hours , to nurse. If you’re not sure if the mother is returning, use some sticks to put a tic tac toe over the nest and check if disturbed the next day. Baby bunnies wean quickly–usually within a couple of weeks. If you see a tiny bunny hopping around, no need to intervene unless obviously injured or acting ill! For more on baby bunnies, please read this.
A quick note on bats: most New England bats hibernate in the winter. However, due to global warming, sometimes bats awake prematurely from hibernation during warm snaps and find their way into people’s homes. If you find a bat in your home between the months of November and April, please do not just release it outside. The bat will not be able to survive when the temperature plummets and due to a lack of insects to eat from late fall through very early spring. Bat populations are crashing due to White Nose Syndrome and climate change and many of our resident species are threatened or endangered. If you find a bat in your home, net or box the bat if you can (making sure to avoid any direct handling–please use nets and wear gloves, masks, and clothing to limit any exposed skin as bats can carry rabies; also make sure pets have no contact and if so, let your vet know ASAP! Likewise, if you have any direct contact with the bat let your Board of Health know) and contact Beth Logan Murphy or another rehabber who works with bats. For more on bats in the home, visit Mass Wildlife’s page on the topic.
Bird rehabilitators require a federal license and are somewhat harder to come by than small mammal rehabbers. Both NEWC and Tufts Wildlife Clinic have federal licenses and can rehab all bird species and also have on-site veterinary staff. Cape Ann Wildlife (CAW) is also an excellent bird rehabbing nonprofit that even treats many birds of prey. Please call or text CAW rehabbers directly with cases. Jodi Swenson is available at 978-325-2501.
Please be aware that during fledgling season, young juvenile birds may seem injured but are actually fine and just haven’t learned to fly yet. Also note nestling birds sometimes fall out of the nest and just need to be placed back there and not treated. Not sure what to do or if the bird is a fledgling? Here is a useful one-pager with some guidance.
Any bird or mammal that you suspect or know has been in a cat’s or dog’s mouth or has been attacked by a pet, should be seen and treated by a vet or rehabber ASAP. Cats have a bacteria in their mouth (Pasturella) that is fatal to most wildlife without antibiotic treatment. Likewise, any wild animal that has had a collision, whether with a car, bike, or a window, should also be seen by a rehabber, even if they *seem* fine. This is because there is often neurological damage not readily apparent that is ultimately fatal is left untreated.
If you find an injured eagle or Perergine Falcon, please report it ASAP to MassWildlife ornithologist Andrew Vitz at 508-389-6394 and email at andrew.vitz@mass.gov (please cc lakiesel@Gmail.com on this email so SAW can track this report); Environmental Police at 1(800) 632-8075; and Tufts Wildlife Clinic and NEWC (please see above). Only these entities are allowed to handle these species as they are on the state endangered species list and subject to special protocols.
For injured turtles, please contact the Turtle Rescue League. If Turtle Rescue League is not responding or at capacity, contact Tufts or NEWC as both are also experienced in turtle rehab.
HEAL Veterinary Clinic in Watertown has a trained wildlife vet on staff and will also take/treat wildlife for a nominal fee if they have space and capacity. Please call 617-932-5166 for more info.
If you are not having luck with any of these wildlife rehabbers or clinics, you can also search for an appropriate rehabber using the MassWildlife directory here. Please call around. Many times rehabbers (especially small clinics and individuals) are at capacity or over capacity, so you may need to search a bit for one with an opening, depending on the animal. Most times, you will need to transport or arrange transport of the animal to the clinic or person’s home for treatment.
FOR DEAD WILDLIFE:
If you find a dead rat or mouse (or really any rodent), please have it disposed of immediately. Almost all mice and rats and some squirrels and chipmunks, have rat poison in their system, which we do not want passed up the food chain to pets and wild predators.
If the dead rodent is on town property and it is during business hours, you can contact Arlington’s Animal Control Officer at: Phone:(781) 643-1212 or email at animalcontrol@town.arlington.ma.us, for removal. If the dead rodent is on private property and/or it is discovered outside of business hours, someone else will have to remove the rodent. Please use gloves, wear a mask, and avoid any direct handling (using a broom or stick when possible), place the rodent in a plastic or garbage bag, tie tightly, and dispose of in a trash receptacle.
Be aware that our town ACO is limited in her ability to get involved in injured wildlife cases and that the town does not test for rodenticide exposure.
If you find a dead eagle or Perergine Falcon, please report it ASAP to MassWildlife ornithologist Andrew Vitz at 508-389-6394 and email at andrew.vitz@mass.gov (please cc lakiesel@Gmail.com on this email so SAW can track this report); Environmental Police at 1(800) 632-8075; and Tufts Wildlife Clinic (please see above). Again, only these entities can handle mortality cases for these species.
For any other dead raptor in the area (owl, hawk, vulture, or other falcon species like merlins), as well as crows, please contact Save Arlington Wildlife as we are tracking these deaths and often collaborate with rehabbers to have their livers tested for rodenticide exposure. The quickest way to contact is to DM on SAW’s Facebook page.
If you find dead waterfowl please report here for tracking of possible avian flu outbreaks.
For dead foxes or opossums, also contact SAW to report sighting and location.