Get Help

Step 1: Is This a Major Injury?

If you have found an animal that is seriously injured (ex: an obvious broken bone) or has significant bleeding (more than a superficial scratch), this may be an emergency situation.

The best course of action is to contact a major city center rehabilitation facility that has the medical staff and resources to help the animal immediately. For those that live in Middle TN, that would be Nashville-area and Chattoonga facilities.

We are setup to treat minor injuries and help orphaned opossums.

Step 2: Identify the Age / Development, and Verify Species

It can be very helpful to a rehabber to know the age, or stage of development, of the joeys (baby possums). Please use the photos below as a guide. The two primary developmental features, at least for babies are:

Fur / Hair
Do they have fur?
What is the color?
Is it like it’s “painted on”? Or slick?
Is it the consistency of an adult’s fur?

Eyes
Are the eyes covered over with skin?
Is there an eye slit?
Have the eyes started to open?
Are the eyes round and big (fully wide open)?

Note: Many infant mammals look very similar. It’s important to be sure you’ve identified the species of mammal. Compared to a baby possum, baby squirrels have black toe nails, as well as a more round head, darker color and larger forebody. If uncertain, sending photos to a wildlife rehabilitator can help confirm the species as well as internet searches for differences.

Newborn Opossum

Newborn Squirrel

Step 3: Is a Rescue Necessary?

Don’t be a kidnapper!

Not all baby mammals need to be rescued, in fact, many do not.
BEFORE you take an animal from the wild, determine if it really needs human intervention. Click on the animal title below to learn more about when to rescue and when not.

Juvenile opossums (aka possums) are fully furred (with round circular eyes) and have outgrown their mother’s pouch. By instinct, they cling to her as she forages and eventually fall off, a natural dispersal strategy. If healthy and nine to ten inches long (not including the tail), the juvenile is independent and does not need rescue. If you have already captured the juvenile and it is over 1 lb, then simply release it back in the wild as it doesn’t need rescue and can take care of itself.

Babies and young possums that are still nursing can fall off their mother or out of her pouch (especially if she was running or being chased). Opossums cannot be reunited with their mothers. If smaller than nine to ten inches long (not including the tail), it may still need assistance. In reviewing the photos above, if it does not yet have mature fur, or it’s eyes are not fully wide (circular) it definitely needs help.

If you see a possum on or by the roadside who has been hit by a car, and it is safe for you to stop, check for babies. They may be near by in the grass, on her, or in her pouch. If babies are attempting to nurse on the mother, remove them very slowly and gently as they actually swallow the nipple, so be very careful or you can cause injury. Any babies found on or near a dead mother should be rescued (see Step 4 and 5) and a rehabilitator contacted. Make sure the rehabilitator knows if they were attempting to nurse on a dead mother as they may administer antibiotics.

Baby squirrels can fall out of a nest, or a nest (called a “drey”) may have been damaged or destroyed (e.g. during a storm). Assuming something hasn’t happened to Squirrel Mom, she will come looking for her baby and will retrieve them if she feels it’s safe to do so.

If you find uninjured babies, place them in a warm, shallow box (protected from any rain) at the base of the tree they fell from, or in a basket suspended so it rests against the trunk, and leave the area. Babies will need to be kept warm — you can make a sock heat source (fill a sock with rice, tie it off, and microwave it) and place it in the nesting material with the baby, or supply some other supplemental heat source if it’s a cool day.

Additionally, if you can play baby squirrel calls with your phone or better yet a bluetooth speaker that will attract the Squirrel Mom’s attention. Please do an internet search for “Reunite baby squirrel with mom AND baby squirrel calls”. You will find a number of helpful videos as well as the squirrel calls (good example). You may want to secure or weight down the phone or speaker so she doesn’t try to carry that off. It is important that you vacate the area and keep it free of kids and pets, so she feels safe to retrieve the baby.

If the mother has not returned within several hours or by night time, take the box away and keep the animal safe and warm and contact a wildlife rehabilitator (see TWRA links for those in your area who help Squirrels). Note where you found the squirrel as this may be valuable information for the rehabilitator.

Juvenile squirrels are still dependent on their mother. Call a squirrel wildlife rehabilitator for advice if a juvenile squirrel approaches you, as it may be a sign that he needs medical care. Squirrels have very sharp teeth and strong jaws – never handle a squirrel without gloves.

A bunny/rabbit who is five inches long with open eyes and erect ears are independent from Mom and able to fend for themselves. Always remember – if they can run from you – they do NOT need to be rescued! Nests of younger rabbits should remain undisturbed. Mom Bunny will feed her babies at dusk and dawn and will stay away to distract predators from the nest. Do NOT expect to see her sitting on the nest like a chicken. Keep children and pets away and let Mom Bunny do her job.

One way you can be certain that the mother is returning to take care of her young is to criss cross yarn or sticks over the nest and by the next day if the yarn or sticks have been disturbed, you know she has returned. You can also peek at the babies and see if their tummies look full and they look healthy. If they do NOT look good (skinny, wet, full of fleas), contact a wildlife rehabilitator immediately (see TWRA links for those in your area who help Rabbits).

A warm quiet baby found in the grass with no obvious injuries is probably not abandoned. Fawns and young rabbits remain quiet and still so that predators will not find them. If all is well, the mother will likely move her baby after the next feeding, which may not be for several hours.

Baby raccoons will stay with Mom, and as they get older, will go exploring with her. If you find a single baby in your yard, especially during the day, call a TWRA permitted wildlife rehabilitator for help. Raccoons will make their homes in various places that humans don’t appreciate. Sometimes, understanding their behavior and a little patience, will allow Mom Raccoon to care for her babies without removing the family.

Baby raccoons are helpless for about six weeks, and their mother usually keeps them well hidden. You are unlikely to encounter baby raccoons unless their nest is disturbed or their mother is interrupted while moving them. Raccoons are very attached to their young. If a mother is alive and she has been separated from all her young, she will try aggressively to retrieve them for several nights. If allowed to reach them, she will move them to an alternate nest. Call a rehabilitor for assistance with reuniting a family or if you have found a single neonate (newborn) raccoon. Never handle a raccoon OF ANY AGE with your bare hands.

Juvenile raccoons leave the nest at about eight to ten weeks of age and begin to travel with their mother. From then on they have no permanent den site. If excluding raccoons from your walls, attics or crawlspaces is a goal, this is when it is safe to do so.

First, if the adult is able to successfully run and evade you, it may not need rescuing. Nature is harsh and wild animals get injured. However, they often recover and heal on their own.

Before attempting a rescue, understand that YOU are the scary monster in this scenario and understand that it may try to protect itself from you even if you are attempting to help an injured animal. Have a plan, proper equipment and gear, and help from others as needed. Every situation is unique and we recommend that you get the advice of an experienced rehabilitor that knows that animal species well.

In the state of Tennessee, no one is allowed to rehabilitate fawns at this time. Please read this notice from TWRA which explains the changes to statewide fawn rehabilitation.

Step 4: Rescue

If rescuing an adult animal, first consult a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.
Prepare container first. A box with soft rags or cloth and some small air holes.
Wear gloves. Gently collect and place babies in the container box. Cover with a light towel or cloth.
(For Possums) If babies are attempting to nurse on the mother, remove them very slowly and gently to prevent injuring the babies. They actually swallow the nipple, so be careful or you can cause injury.

Close the box. Place half of the box on a heating pad on LOW, and half of the box off of the pad so they can crawl to warmth if needed or move away from the heat. Make sure the pad stays on, as many have auto-shut offs.
If you don’t have a heating pad, you can use a bottle of warm water (ensure that the bottle can’t fall and hurt the babies or spill) and you will need to periodically reheat the water.
Wash your hands after handling the animal(s).
Keep the box in a quiet, calm, dark place away from pets and children to minimize stress.

Step 5: Helping Rescued Animals, especially Possums

Warmth. Safety & calm. Hydration. If you can do these, you will help tremendously.

Warmth

Baby possums can not maintain their body temperature. Optimally they need supplemental heat ~93 F (90-95F). If animals are cold, they can’t properly hydrate, and therefore can’t process food. Warmth is CRITICAL to their survival especially if they don’t yet have their mature fur (where they look like a miniature version of an adult).

Use a heating pad on LOW with half of the container on the pad and half off, so they can move away from the heat if too much. Note many heating pads have an auto-shut off, so be aware. Their body temperature is lower than a humans so it should feel warm but not hot. Also beware that babies can overheat as well, so don’t make it too hot. Optionally, you can also fill water bottles or jars with warm water with a t-shirt or cloth around it — just make sure the bottle can’t fall over or leak.

Safety & Calm

Keep them away from pets, children, and in a dark, quiet, safe, calm environment. Remember humans (and other domestic pets) are the scary monsters to them. Stress will diminish their healing from injuries. Limit handling as well. This is not the time to bring friends and family over for a photo session with scared trapped rescued animals.

Hydration

After they are warm and calm, you can offer them hydrating fluids. Hydration is CRITICAL and is more than just water. You can offer the following:
* Pedialyte mixed with water (3 parts water, 1 part Pedialyte). [Can be generic version of Pedialyte, the brand is not important.]
* Water with a couple of drops of honey (or with a little apple juice)

If an adult (or clearly not a baby), you can put some in a cap or shallow dish. Baby possums can’t drink from a feeding nipple, so you can offer with a feeding syringe (NO needle), drop by drop and let them lap it up. Be careful not to get fluid in their nose and do not force fluids into their mouths.

Do NOT …

No feeding the animal without talking with a wildlife rehabilitator first (especially for babies). Seriously, please do not.
It’s well intentioned, but feeding an animal can actually be life threatening and will likely make the rehabilitation process slower and more difficult. Animals can’t digest/process food without being BOTH properly hydrated and warm. Also not all food is appropriate for that species and their stage of development — it can cause diarrhea which will worsen dehydration which is a serious problem, and in some cases there are complications like refeeding syndrome which can be fatal especially for emaciated animals.