Injured and Orphaned Wildlife
If you find a wild animal that you suspect needs help, the first and best thing you can do is leave it alone or put it back where it was found. If you suspect the animal is injured or orphaned, but aren't sure, please read the following information:
Due to a high risk of permanent harm to the animal or people during attempted rehabilitation, or to its invasive status, some species of wildlife cannot legally be rehabilitated in North Carolina. These species include adult white-tailed deer, adult black bears, coyotes, nutria, and feral swine. White-tailed deer fawns found within a CWD Surveillance Area cannot be rehabilitated or transported outside that area.
Please note: It is illegal in North Carolina to keep most wildlife species without a permit. NC licensed wildlife rehabilitators are the only individuals who are legally allowed to possess and provide care for live wildlife. These individuals are trained and have the necessary experience to prevent permanent dependence on humans while maximizing an orphaned or injured animal's chance of survival upon release.
Wildlife rehabilitators are volunteers who are trained and licensed by the State of North Carolina to rehabilitate wild animals until they can be released back into their natural habitat. Rehabilitators dedicate a considerable amount of their time and money to care for orphaned and injured wildlife. Before contacting a rehabilitator, be sure the animal truly needs assistance. In most cases, a wild animal has the best chance of survival when it is not taken into human care. Often the best way you can help a wild animal is to leave it alone.
For severely injured white-tailed deer or black bear contact the NC Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401 (Mon-Fri. 8 am- 5 pm) or the Wildlife Enforcement Division at 800-662-7137 outside of business hours. Due to a very low chance of survival in human care, adults of these species are best left to heal from superficial injuries on their own. If the animal is able to walk on its own, the best way to help is to give the animal space.
Seen a Sick Deer?
If you have seen or harvested a sick deer, please call your local District Biologist or the Wildlife Helpline at 1-866-318-2401.
Signs to look for:
- Isolation from other animals
- Listlessness or showing little or no interest in their surroundings
- Lack of coordination
- Frequent lowering of the head
- Blank facial expressions
- Walking in set patterns
- Drooling and grinding of teeth
- Drinking lots of water and increased urination
- Low weight
For more information, see our Chronic Wasting Disease Fact Sheet (PDF).
Is the animal injured?
Captivity is highly stressful for wild animals and providing care for them is highly specialized and usually risky for the animal. If the animal is injured but can move around on its own, then its best chance of survival is to be left to heal on its own. When in doubt, leave wild animals alone.
If a wild animal is not moving or appears “frozen” in place, it’s not necessarily injured. Some species become very still when they feel threatened or cornered. The best thing to do is back away and give the animal plenty of space, ideally so it can no longer see or hear you. Give the animal plenty of time (at least several hours) to calm down and feel safe enough to move elsewhere if it is able.
If a wild animal is obviously and seriously injured and is NOT listed above as a species that cannot be rehabilitated in North Carolina, then click the button above to search for a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area.
Is the animal abandoned or orphaned ?
If you find a young wild animal or nest by itself with no adult nearby, this is normal in nature; don’t assume it’s abandoned or orphaned. Most young wildlife is left alone, sometimes for long periods of time (up to 24 hours for rabbits!), while their parents go elsewhere in search of food. Even young that have fallen out or been removed from the nest will still be cared for by their parents if people don’t intervene. Wild parents almost never abandon their young.
Since a young wild animal’s best chance of survival is in the care of its own parents, a good rule of thumb is to leave it alone for at least 24 hours before taking any action. In that time consult a wildlife professional to learn if or how you should help.
If a young wild animal is obviously and extremely thin, is clearly injured, or a dead adult is found nearby, then click the button above to search for a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area. Coyotes, nutria, and feral swine are not native to North Carolina and cannot legally be rehabilitated. White-tailed deer fawns found within a CWD Surveillance Area cannot be rehabilitated or transported outside that area.