Find a wild animal in your backyard? Here's what wildlife experts say you should do
Emma Dill
As temperatures warm, those who work with wildlife across the Cape Fear region say they’re seeing an uptick in calls and questions from local residents.
The spring and summer is often the busiest season, said David Leonard with Coastal Carolina Wildlife Rehab. It’s the time of year when deer, rabbits and foxes have their young and alligators become more active.
If you encounter a wild animal in your neighborhood or backyard, Philip Peterson, a corporal with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office’s animal services unit, recommends keeping your distance.
“The biggest thing is do not touch wildlife because you don't know whether or not it's going to be a rabies vector animal,” he said. “Don’t grab it if you don’t have to.”
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If you have concerns about the animal’s well-being, Peterson recommends monitoring the animal from a distance. An animal needs immediate attention if you see blood, flies or broken bones on its body, said Jennifer Leonard with Coastal Carolina Wildlife Rehab, or if it’s acting in a way that’s not typical for a wild animal.
Here’s your guide to dealing with different species of wildlife:
Birds
If you find a baby bird on the ground, that doesn’t always mean it's sick or injured, said Mary Ellen Rogers, founder of Oak Island's Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter.
“People automatically think that there's something wrong and they pick them up, but that's not normally the case,” she said.
If you find a baby bird or animal of any kind, it’s best to leave it alone and reassess the situation in 24 hours, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. If the animal hasn’t moved and there aren’t any signs its mother has returned, you should contact a wildlife rehabilitator.
If a bird flies into a window, it may be stunned and unable to fly away. Audubon North Carolina recommends putting a box over the bird or placing it under a bush to give it a secluded place to recover and checking on the bird 30 minutes to an hour later.
Fawns
Fawns are typically born during May and June, meaning you have the highest chance of encountering one this time of year.
A mother deer often leaves a fawn alone for long periods of time until it is old enough to keep up with her, according to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. If you find a fawn alone in your backyard and think it may be orphaned, leave it along for at least 24 hours to see if the mother returns. If it hasn’t moved and there are no signs of the mother returning, contact a local wildlife rehab or the N.C. Wildlife Helpline.
Sea turtles
At the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, executive director Kathy Zagzebski says they’re seeing an uptick in the number of turtles who have ingested plastic, been struck by a boat or hooked with a fishing hook.
While boating Zagzebski recommends wearing polarized sunglasses to make it easier to see turtles in the water and observing posted speed limits and no wake zones because those are areas turtles forage in.
Turtle hatchlings are also feeling the effects of increasing coastal development. Artificial light from homes and street lamps also confuses hatchlings as they make their way back to the ocean.
The public can help hatchlings by removing any furniture from the beach, filling in any holes dug in the same and disposing of any plastic used on the beach. Zagzebski also recommends beachside homes turn off lights in ocean-side rooms or pull down blinds at night to limit the impact of light on hatchlings.
Alligators
In the wild, alligators are wary of humans and will stay a safe distance away from humans – that is unless they’re being fed, Peterson said.
In the Cape Fear region, people and alligators largely coexist peacefully, and seeing an alligator in a neighborhood pond should not be a cause for alarm, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. The commission offers the following tips on interacting with alligators:
- Never intentionally feed an alligator. Also, do not feed ducks, geese or fish in an area where alligators have been seen.
- When fishing, dispose of fish scraps in the garbage, not in the water.
- Keep pets on a leash where alligators could be present and don't walk them next to the water's edge.
- Never leave children unattended near any body of water.
- Be particularly cautious between dusk and dawn when alligators are most active.
- Do not harass, provoke, or touch any alligator.
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Stray animals
Although not a type of wildlife, stray domestic animals are commonly encountered throughout the Cape Fear region.
If you find a cat, dog or other domesticated animal and can’t identify its owner, you are required by county statute to notify the animal services unit with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Peterson said. Officers will walk callers through the next steps of where to house the animal and will work to locate the owner.
“If you find a stray animal it’s not just free game to keep or put on Facebook,” Peterson said. “That needs to be reported. So that way we can get any animals that get out or lost, we get them back to their owners.”
Who should I call?
If you find a wild animal in your backyard, you can call the North Carolina Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401. The helpline, which is run by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The commission's website also offers guidance around encountering other animals in the wild.
You can also call a local licensed wildlife rehabilitator:
- Coastal Carolina Wildlife Rehab in Kings Grant - (910) 612-9127
- Sea Biscuit Wildlife Shelter in Oak Island - (910) 294-2555
- SkyWatch Bird Rescue in Castle Hayne - (855) 407-3728
Reporter Emma Dill can be reached at edill@gannett.com.