Found an Animal
outside of operating hours
Setting Your Patient Up Overnight
We know it can be upsetting to have an injured or orphaned wild animal, and have to wait to bring them to care! At the same time, it's important for the animals at our facility to have the overnight with no human activity, and for our staff to have manageable hours to be able to give the best care, prevent burnout and compassion fatigue, and for us to be here in perpetuity.
Though as humans we may feel better by feeding or “soothing”, wild animals view us as giant predators and if we think about humans being afflicted with head trauma or fractures, the first thing to do is not offering food but stabilizing and then offering expert medical care.
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Follow these tips for overnight care to give your patient the best chance for success, click here to watch a brief instructional video, and we'll see you in the morning!
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Keep pets and noise away from the animal
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Stress can be deadly to injured animals, handle as little as possible. Keep animals in an enclosed container in a quiet area
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Do not attempt to give animals food, water or medication
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Please keep personal safety in mind during rescue, wear safety equipment when handling wildlife.
Transport to the Clinic
Please keep the car as quiet as possible (e.g. turn off the radio, talk quietly, etc.)
Note: We have lost 81 million birds in our country since 2022 due to Avian Influenza. In order to continue accepting injured birds from the wild, we have altered our admissions and triage protocols in accordance with USDA, CDC, and state guidelines.
Click here for more information on Avian Influenza, and click here to view our Avian Influenza Triage Flow Chart to understand what to expect when calling or bringing in an admission.
Birds
(Non-Suspect Avian Influenza Species Only)
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Use a towel to cover the bird (dish towel for small birds; bath towel for large birds).
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Place the bird in a well-ventilated box and transfer to Center for Wildlife or local rehabilitator.
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If you are rescuing a bird of prey, be careful of their talons!
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If you are rescuing a water bird, be careful of their beak and wear eye protection if possible.
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Do not leave towels in container with woodpeckers. They have barbed tongues that can become entangled!
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Mammals
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Use a towel to cover the animal (dish towel for small mammals or babies).
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Place the animal in a well-ventilated box and transfer to Center for Wildlife or local rehabilitator.
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If you are rescuing a porcupine, do not use a towel - it will stick to their quills. Use heavy leather gloves to help guide into carrying box/crate/etc.
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We are only able to accept bats from within the state of Maine. These animals could potentially carry rabies, state and federal regulations prohibit them crossing state lines.
Turtles
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Remember to move turtles across the road in the direction they were headed - they know where they're going!
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Large snapping turtles can be helped across the road by encouraging them to bite a sturdy stick and pulling them across the road on top of a towel - please remember to use a towel to avoid scraping the underside of their shells!
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If a turtle was hit by a car, please bring it to the Center - we may be able to bracket its shell.
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We are also able to extract eggs from deceased individuals
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Orphaned Baby Animals
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Please don't rescue baby animals unless necessary!
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During the nesting season (March-October), many healthy baby birds and juveniles can be found on the ground and appear injured.​ They may be building up their flight muscles and coordination. Their parents are often nearby.
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Call our Hotline if you are unsure: 207-361-1400
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