Friends of Wildlife:
Every animal has a right to humane medical care. It is heart breaking when there are ”no more beds” in our hospital for wildlife in dire need.
There are millions of common wildlife injured or orphaned every year in Massachusetts. The Center can treat approximately 2,000 patients a year. This is a drop in the bucket! We do not have the funding for staff to treat more.
There is no government funding or publicly funded entity to care for suffering wildlife. Less than 1% of the Center’s resources come from folks that bring us wild patients. By law, we cannot charge anyone, including municipalities, state agencies, and organizations that bring us ailing wildlife. Read more …
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Find a wild animal?
Orphaned animals – Many baby animals that are found alone are not truly orphaned. Please first consult these guidelines to attempt to reunite the baby with its mother.
Injured animals– Any animal that is found with obvious injuries should be brought to a wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian for assessment and care. Be careful not to confuse a juvenile animal learning to be on its one with an injured adult. These aging charts for birds and mammals will help you tell the difference.
Nuisance animals – As advocates for wildlife we always recommend that native wildlife be left undisturbed unless it is injured or TRULY orphaned. Relocating wildlife is ILLEGAL in Massachusetts and often leads to orphaned babies that soon die. Here is a link to why moving wildlife is harmful. Also, here is a great link to learn how to live comfortably with wildlife.
Wildlife Facts — Massachusetts Department of Game and Fish is a great resource for facts about native wildlife. Here is the link to their wildlife facts.
Other Rehabilitators — The MassWildlife webpage has an extensive list of wildlife rehabilitators located around the state. Additionally, here is a list of local animal control officers.
Visiting wild patients — Because all of our patients are wild, they are extremely stressed by being in captivity. Our goal is to minimize the animal’s stress by limiting their exposure to humans while in the hospital. For this reason we do not allow the public to visit any animals that they bring to us. However, our Center is open 7 days a week and the hospital is windowed.
Updates on wild patients – Due to our limited staffing we are unable to give updates on wildlife patients by phone or email. Staff time is best spent caring for the animals. At this point, our only means to update you is to send a postcard to let you know ultimately what happened with the animal. If you did not fill out a postcard address label when the animal was admitted, you can call the Wildlife Center and give us your name, mailing address and the type of animal that you brought to us. We will attach this label to the animal’s file so you will receive a postcard update to let you know if the animal was released, or unfortunately did not make it.
We found a duck in the woods along our driveway. She has 8 eggs in her nest. We found one in the middle of our driveway and one on the side. We do not have any water near us and we are worried about her and her babies. I dont want anything to happen to her 8 eggs she still has. What should we do.
Hi Megan, I talked with our wildlife vet and he said to leave the nest be. You can put the eggs back but then go away from the nest. Unfortunately, there really isn’t anything you can do. If mom doesn’t return then the eggs are most likely not viable. Hopefully she returns and eventually you get to see babies! Let us know how you make out if you have a chance.
Hello, We have a fox with a lame front leg hanging around our yard in Newton Corner. Is there any possibility someone could come to trap it? I have accidentally trapped small animals (including raccoons) in conjunction with feral cat rescue several years ago but don’t currently have any traps on hand. The fox is eating bird seed that falls from our feeder and I think could be trapped fairly easily if we act quickly. I used to support Wildlife in Crisis in CT and would be happy to make a donation. Please advise.
I suppose it could be a female with kits hidden somewhere, so this would the worst time to trap it….
Hello Janet, Thank you for being in touch with us
. The Center treats sick, injured and orphaned but we do not have staff or equipment to rescue. If you call the Animal Rescue League of Boston or your local animal control officer, they may be able to help. If the fox needs to come to the Center then they will transport him or her to us. Best, of luck to you. I hope the fox is ok. Katrina
Hi, My daughter found a newborn bunny alone in the grass and apparently it had some signs of trauma (blood on it). It eyes are not open yet and she has been trying to feed it with an eye dropper and kitten’s milk. Do you have availablitly for this orphan? If not can you suggest another facility that may be able to take care of it.
Thank you,
Lynda
Hi Lynda, We can take your baby bunny tomorrow between 10 – 2. I am so sorry about that little newborn bunny. He sounds small and really injured. Cottontails are very frail, so it may not be a good
Hopefully, he makes it through the night and you can bring him to us. Best of luck! 
outcome.
I found a baby bird laying in my driveway this evening – my driveway is between two houses (in the city, no trees around) not sure which house eve this baby fell from — I’m not able to locate or put the baby back; my neighborhood is loaded with cats and other predators so currently I have the baby in a shoe box with a makeshift nest. Do you still have room for a baby bird? Thank you
This poor guy needs a place to go on mother’s day! Yes, we open at 10 and the veterinarian is in and said we can take him.
hello, i actually witnessed 3 babies falling out of their nest and parents flying away. parents have come back but nest is too high to return bird to it. 2 out of the 3 babies have died. the 1 remaining baby is doing ok. we have been feeding it chopped up worms with tweezers. we have kept it indoors in a shoe box with grasses n pine needles and an old towel. we have kept a light over it for warmth. the baby has hardly any feathers. we dont know what to do next. any suggestions?
Hi Audrey, If you are close enough, you can bring them to us. We are open 10-2 and have room for baby birds. If not, our vet says without knowing the species this is probably the best thing you can do. Best of luck!
I have not seen any chipmunks yet this spring , does any one know if it is just to early or has something happened to the chipmunk population ?
Hi Joyce, Last year there was more than a bumper crop of chipmunks. Not sure if you noticed a lot of chipmunks last year too. Vets are wondering if perhaps the warm winter interfered with hibernation. Not sure.
yes last year we had lots of chipmunks . this year not any ! weird
i know. i love chipmunks too! i’ll let you know if i find anything out. if anyone else knows anything that we don’t, please advise. thanks. katrina
I absolutely adore this blog site! The material is priceless. Thank you for all the posts and making my personal morning. Special regards, Just
Just, You made our day! So glad you like them. Lot’s more coming now that Spring is here. We also have some additional items on Facebook. If you go to our page, please “like” us. It’s a huge help. Thanks again. Have a good Wednesday…
We repaired a hole in our eave this weekend and disrupted a squirrel’s nest. We now have 3 babies under our care. I don’t want to be inhumane, but I also don’t have time to care for them. Can you help/
Hi Jackie,
We sure can. Our vet is available from 10AM to 2PM on Tuesday through Friday to take them in and devise a treatment plan. Unfortunately, the state doesn’t allow us to take in wildlife at other hours when a vet is not present.
I recently moved into my home. My entire back yard abutts what I was told is wet/conservation land and was protected from development. In the last few months I have seen fox, coyote, owls, and hawks. The animals have created their own neighborhood that has little overlap with its human community. A developer has proposed a plan that will cram twelve tiny homes on a portion of the center of the 6 acre property. This will obviously disrupt the balance that has naturally been developed and place all those animals and we humans in danger. My neighbors and my family are against this moving forward, but we are frequently reminded that the developer owns the land and he has rights but the animals do not.
It is better to be proactive than reactive. So my question is: has anyone been successful in mounting a campaign designed to maintain the habitat of wild animals nestled in a semi-urban environment? What did you do?
Hi Joan, Thank you for your question. I am happy to share what I know and support your efforts on behalf of our wild neighbors whole heartedly. I know that although the developer “owns” the land, if there are vernal ponds, wet lands, protected or endangered species (such as turtles) that are documented than that does impact the ability for people to develop land. I am not an expert but I can offer some resources or acts that might help (you may already know this info) – there is no one “entity” – you and your neighbors can come together and make an action plan and try to get support and/or information, cape ann vernal pond association is a great place – your local and state departments of conservation and env protection and fisheries and wildlife. I am going to forward your message to Dr. Martinez, a herpetologist and director of our education program. He has participated in such campaigns I believe. Best of luck! Wish the world were full of folks like you. katrina
Thank you for your quick response Katrina. The conservation officer of our city has marked the areas that are protected and the only impact it has had on the project is the redesign of the access points and the potential loss of one house in the design. I appreciate your suggestions of resources. It will surely help in understanding what can be done. Thanks again, Joan
Hi Joan, my pleasure. please let me know if there is anything else i can you navigate.
Hi, last night we came home and saw that there was an injured (or sick?) squirrel in our driveway. It didn’t run away as the car approached it, and when we walked toward it, it still didn’t move. We moved it to the side gently so that the neighbors didn’t run it over, and placed a towel around it to keep it warm. If it’s still there when we get home today, what should we do? Can we feed it? Not sure if it ate some poison (we suspect he landlord set poison for rats that have been burrowing in the walls), or has an injury. thank you
Hi Olga, If the squirrel is still in your drive way today you can bring him to us. Our hours on Sunday are 10-2. Very best of luck. Katrina
I live in Rockland and I found a duck that has fishing line wrapped around it’s leg. His/her leg is all swollen and he can barely walk on it. I called the animal control and got a voicemail. I spoke to a police officer and he said that the animal control officer received a call the other day about the duck. The poor duck is still at the pond in the same condition. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do or where I can bring it? i am waiting for a call back from the NE wildlife center.
Hi Melanie, That is awful. Fishing line hurts and kills so many birds and other creatures in the water. Fortunately, we can take him at the Center tomorrow if you can bring him/her in between 10 – 12. You can also call the Animal Rescue League to see if they can come capture and bring the duck to us. Hope this helps.
Hello:
I have a squirrel nest on my window ledge with a few babies. They opened their eyes about a week or so ago and have recently started exploring outside of the nest and climbing around.
When the mother was building the nest back in early August, she poked a hole in the screen, that we covered up with some duct tape. Unfortunately, some of the duct tape came off (probably from the babies and mom moving around in the nest). Yesterday, one or two of the babies crawled through the hole and they’re stuck in the between the glass window and the screen. They haven’t managed to get back to their nest.
Should I open the window and put them back in the nest? It seems like the mother isn’t around…I didn’t see her come back yesterday and it does look like she’s in the nest. The babies have just been sleeping.
Please let me know what to do. Thanks for your help!
Valeria
I meant to say that it doesn’t look like she’s in the nest.
Hello Valeria,
Hang in tight while we get you exact direction from our medical staff. In the mean while i do suggest you do get the little ones back into the nest and contact rehabilitators listed above. At the time we are not expecting our veterinarian until Saturday the 1st. Make sure you call tomorrow, Tuesday 27th so you can speak directly with Marco who is one of our vet techs.
Hi Kyle:
Thanks for replying. When I got home from work yesterday, I saw that I was too late. All of the babies had died. I’m guessing their mom either abandoned them or something happened to her too.
I wish I contacted you over the weekend. My boyfriend and I noticed them starting to climb out of the nest on Saturday, but we thought they were just getting bigger and wanting to explore a bit. They were squeaking too, which in hindsight I’m guessing it was them calling for their mother.
Is it normal for a squirrel that age (I’m guessing around 7-8 weeks) to start to climb and squeak? This is my first experience with baby squirrels around, so I didn’t know what to expect/what’s normal for them/etc.
Thanks for your help.
Valeria
Valeria,
At 7-8 weeks of age squirrels are starting to grow in teeth and are becoming more independent.
What you did was the right thing so dont beat yourself up over it. This is a difficult time of the year for squirrel families. Many of the little ones do end up orphaned more so due to traffic. One thing that applies to all species of animal is that being in the nest with its parents is always the best outcome. If the Center could somehow receive funding through the state and more from the public than the Center would be able to offer more to our wildlife. But do NOT lose hope in us.
Please come stop by the center any day from 10-4 to see how we operate and come learn from our technicians and from our volunteers alike, in hopes from me being able to learn also from you!
Always feel free to call!
I have two young maybe even baby coyote’s living in or around my yard. yesterday afternoon at 2:30 the two were huddled under a tree to keep out of the rain and stayed there for over 4 hours sleeping. I am not sure if they were there longer because it got too dark to see. They were gone this morning. This afternoon when my husband came home from work at 3:30PM, there was one of the young/baby coyotes sleeping next to my front steps. Both babies definitely have something wrong with them, and I am sure it is mange, after looking it up. I have three young children and there are about 10 others in my neighborhood…how to we help these little guys and stay safe ourselves. My husband did scare it away with noise and I don’t see them right now, but I know they will be back…….
Now I have a dead baby coyote next to my front stairs…who do I call to remove it??
Hi Jenn,
Above there is a link to MassWildlife’s “How to live comfortably with wildlife”. This should have some tips on what you can do to discourage wildlife from coming too close to humans and human habitations. This is a problem that can be hard to solve, and our sympathy does go out to you. As far as the dead coyote and if the coyotes are posing a real threat, you should be able to get some help from your local animal control officer. Above there is a link to animal control officers in our area. As town governments have had their budgets cut, animal control officers have had major cutbacks in personnel and the services they can provide. If you can’t get someone to remove the carcass, the best thing would be to dig a hole a couple feet deep and bury it. Use the shovel to pick it up so that you don’t have to come in direct contact with it. And make sure to practice routine hygiene afterwards. Good luck.
–NEWC
My town animal control says to pick up the dead animal and dispose of it in the weekly trash??? REALLY??
:-/ That sounds like a potential danger to public workers that deal with waste. I guess it will end up underground eventually. I’d still advise burying it if you feel comfortable. The sooner you can get it underground and out of reach of humans and other animals the better.
Last week I found a very young skunk looked like the hind leg may have been injured. This was on someones front lawn on the weymouth/braintree line. I went to the front door of the house to let her know that it was out there and asked her to call the police and report it. The police came and shot it. I was so disturbed about the outcome when all we were trying to do is save it. If this should happen again, how the heck would you transport a skunk to you? I tried calling your hospital but I did not want to leave a message. I didn’t know how to get near him without him spraying? Please inform me. Thanks Ann
Hi Ann,
Skunks can be very hard to capture, as I am sure you can well imagine. The best thing would be to try to scare it into a large container (something like a 50 gallon trash can) than can be closed to prevent it from spraying humans. This sounds a lot easier than it is though.
In defense of the police who dispatched the animal, skunks are a very high risk species for rabies. Neurological disease caused by rabies can often look like an injured limb. In addition, very serious injuries (such as broken legs) in high-risk rabies species (raccoons, skunks, woodchucks, and foxes) are very, very hard to treat. Such injuries require prolonged care with intensive treatment. Their aggressive/defensive temperament combined with the daily handling they require often leads to them biting or scratching their caretakers before they can be successfully rehabilitated. Once this occurs, the animal must be euthanized and tested for rabies. As a result of these circumstances, more often than not, the most humane thing for these high risk species is euthanasia earlier rather than later. We all want the best for the animals, but we cannot compromise our safety since rabies is almost always a fatal disease.
It isn’t hurt at all either.
My cat brought home what i think is a baby chipmunk it is covered in fur but doesn’t have its eyes open. I read to leave it outside where i think it lived to see if the mother would come back for it but it never did. I cant take care of it and don’t know what to do. Is there anywhere i can take it?
Hi Christine,
I would check out the aging charts on our “Orphaned Animal” page to get a better idea of how old this animal may be. If you still think its a young animal, and mom hasn’t come back to claim it, it should be brought to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator (either us or someone closer to your area). There is a link to rehabbers around the state on upper portion of this page. I strongly advise you to call rehabbers first to make sure that that they have room as many facilities are quickly reaching their capacity for baby animals.
My family found 2 baby squirrels yesterday, they have all their fur, except on the stomach, eyes still not open yet. Been giving them Pedialyte, and milk,egg yolk honey mixture. Don’t know what else to do. I can’t keep them for the whole winter. Can you take them?
Thanks, April from Plymouth
Hi April,
Unfortunately, we have reached our capacity for baby squirrels until we get in some new volunteers to help us feed all the hungry mouths. Here is a link to a list of rehabillitators in the state that might be able to accommodate them (http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/rehab/wildlife_rehab_index.htm). Hopefully by next week will be able to start taking more in ourselves.
Do you think what I’m feeding them is ok? I couldn’t afford the puppy formula at Petco. I just don’t want them to suffer. I just can’t contain them if they get bigger and more active either.
Yes, that sounds like a good alternative for the time being.
I found a very nice woman in W. Bridgewater to take them. I am very thankful that she did.
Hi friends- we had a big turtle appear in our yard in June and hang around for a couple of weeks in our neighborhood (a dead end street near a marsh). We had to move her a few times as it seemed to like being under our car. On June 17, she laid 25 eggs at the end of the street, burying the eggs in gravel-we were able to video this, it was fascinating! And then she left. We put a small fence around the nest and marked it with a flag so it wouldn’t be run over, and put netting over the fence so seagulls or racoons couldn’t get at the eggs.
We’re keeping an eye on the nest since we see that they could hatch anytime between 9-18 weeks. What do we do when they hatch? we’re near a couple of small creeks – should we help the hatchlings get there? Also, the gravel the eggs are buried in is kind of big – driveway sort of gravel. I’m afraid it might be too heavy on the hatchlings. Should we remove some of it?
Thanks for any guidance-
Hi Joyce,
That’s awesome! Not many people are lucky enough to witness such an event first hand. Hopefully the eggs are fertile and you can watch the babies emerging. I wouldn’t recommend doing much with the baby turtles when they do hatch–they are completely independent from the moment they hatch. Its difficult to say what habitat they might return to without knowing what species they are. But you can certainly help by scaring away predators, especially cats and dogs as they are not part of the natural predator-prey cycle. For the most part, instincts should kick in with these little guys. Its hard to say if the gravel will pose a problem for them–they are quite strong despite their small size, but sometimes mom doesn’t pick the best location to lay her eggs. It can be a learning process from year to year. I wouldn’t recommend trying to dig them out though, as that will likely do more damage than good. I hope this helps. And take some pictures to post if they hatch out!
Thanks Dr.Cartoceti – we’ll be standing by with the video camera!
we found a sick crow in the front yard – it doesn’t look good and can’t move on his own… What is the right thing to do with it? It is Saturday and seems that all the animal rescue centers are closed. The police suggested to dispose it… Any suggestions about what we can do?
Hi Orit,
So sorry we couldn’t respond to your comment sooner. In the future I suggest calling our Wildlife Hospital Hotline at 781-682-4878 ext 113. It will be a quicker way to get information regarding injured wildlife. I hope you were able to find someone to take a look at the sick crow–it can be difficult this time of year with most rehabbers having their hands full with baby animals. If you still have the crow, I would recommend you bring it to us to take a look at; it seems pretty sick. Our wildlife vet is here Tuesday through Friday from 10AM to 2PM. Unfortunately the state does not allow us to take in animals at other times when there is no vet on duty.
This is a long story.
So we have a pair of warblers/sparrows who made a nest earlier this year under our deck. They produced five healthy babies, that all flew off in due time. Right after the babies left, the same parents rebuilt their nest and produced a second group of babies.
The baby birds appeared to be in good health for weeks and the parents were actively feeding them.
About a week and a half ago, I found a baby bird on our deck. One of our cats must have found him and brought him up. He was injured (scraped leg + missing feathers). I used gloves to pick it up, dabbed dry the bloody wound with antibiotic, and put it back in the nest. The parents continued to return and feed their babies.
There was a horrible smell coming from the nest when I returned the baby, but I didn’t think much of it, since the parents were still returning.
A few days later, the same bird fell out of the nest again. I returned it to its nest using gloves a second time, and put a soft tarp below the nest, just encase it fell out again.
The parents returned to feeding it.
Now about three days ago, things went weird. My neighbor saw a single baby bird fly from the nest. The same day, the parents stopped returning to the nest.
I went to remove the nest yesterday since the parents and babies had left (no peeping coming from the nest). When I got a shock. There were three birds still in the nest. All dead.
Or so I thought.
Before I removed the nest, I picked up the babies to bury them. (They were covered in maggots, so they had been dead for a while.) When one of the “dead” babies started twitching. He was still Alive! Barely though. Turned out to be the same one who fell out of the nest twice before.
I brought him inside and dried it off. The little guy burst back to life once he was dry, opening his mouth for food.
I’ve been feeding the baby (ever 40 minutes or so), canned dog food soaked in water, and he is quite healthy now, but the little guy seems to not be able to fly.
The roots of his feathers are still there, just a chunk of secondary feathers are gone from his wing.
***
I was hoping to return him to the wild once he can get altitude, but his missing feathers might handicap him.
He also has a horrible case of the mites, I hope to be able to treat before releasing him.
I am a poor unemployed college student, and can’t afford an expensive vet visit, what action should I take to make sure this bird is seen too by an expert?
[Also, I am experienced working with exotic animals, was employed with a Wildlife center before]
***
I don’t necessary want to turn him over to wildlife services, unless it is confirmed he can not fly. Just want to treat those mites, and release him.
Hi Beth,
It sounds like you have gone to extraordinary lengths to help out this little bird. Thank you so much for caring for native wildlife! Unfortunately we cannot advise you to care for wildlife unless you are a licensed rehabillitator, as that is illegal under Massachusetts state law. I hope you understand that this is a matter outside of our control. I would recommend that you bring the bird to us to be assessed, or to call our wildlife line to speak to a caretaker about some of your options. The number is 781-682-4878 ext 113.
I found a rolling pigeon today!!! Yes a rolling pigeon. I am in rockland ma and the animal control said they will come eventually well now it’s been 4hours and going nuts. I managed to catch him and been it in a small cage I had now what to do? I am waiting for a call and see from there.
Hi Beth, you can bring the pigeon to the Center tomorrow between 10 – 2, if he made it. Doesn’t sound like he/she was doing so well. Best, Katrina
All is well. Both parents here this AM. Could high night time temperature’s keep the mom off the nest?
Thank you.
Certainly. These birds also have incredible eyesight which allows them to spot insects in the grass that us humans cannot even see. As a result of such good eyesight, songbirds often spot humans before we spot them. If they were incredibly skittish parents, they may have taken off last night if they were worried you were a predator. Either way, glad to know they are still around and caring for their young.
Robin’s nest under my patio umbrella. It is 2am and mom is not sitting on the nest. She was not there at 10 pm. I can see 2 heads popping up with their mouths open. No real feathers yet. This is the second nest this summer. Mom is always there at night. What do I do if no parent returns? I would be willing to transport them to a rehab center.
Thank you.
A blue heron walked into our yard last Friday (7/15) and has not left. He doesn’t fly, only walks. We have a fish pond but there were no fish in it. On Sunday, I bought some feeder fish to stock the pond with since the poor thing just stands there looking at it all day. I think he is orphaned and has not learned how to fly yet. The neighborhod dog has rushed the bird and all it does is raise its wings but does not try to take off. I do not see any evidence of injury on the heron. I do not want to see him starve to death in my backyard. If he is not able to fly to a suitable feeding area, what should I do?
Now I am sure his wing is broken. He must have been attacked last night.
Hi Lisa,
It sounds like this bird should be checked out by a veterinarian. You are welcome to bring the animal to us from Tuesday through Friday from 10AM-2PM. Unfortunately, state regulations mandate that a vet must be present for all incoming animals, and those are the only hours I am available. In a pinch, you may be able to bring the animal to another veterinarian who may be willing to treat the bird until it can be transferred to us. Thanks for taking time to care for native wildlife!
Hola! I found a baby bird that fell of the nest. It has like a broken wing. And maybe leg too. What can I do to help it? Thanks. Peace!
Hi Paola,
The following link should help you determine whats the best next step with the bird.
http://www.wraminc.org/foundbird.html
Be careful to determine if the bird is truly injured or maybe just appears hurt because it is so young and helpless. If you think its truly in need of some help, our vet is here from 10AM-2PM on Tuesday through Friday and would love to take a look. If you think its a healthy baby this link will help you reunite it with its parents. Thanks for your compassion and help with caring for native wildlife!
A baby Robyn fell out of his nest. How do i help this baby birdy??? he is a bout 1-2 weeks old. There was 3 babies and the other 2 flew off with his mother this morning. What can I do to help him? For some reason he cannot fly.
Hi Hope,
Check out our link for what to do if you find a baby bird on the orphaned animal page. This should help you determine what to do next.
Found a baby robin injured in my yard. Can I bring him in tomorrow
Hi Dawn, our wildlife vet is here from 10AM-2PM Tuesday through Friday. Unfortunately the state does not allow us to take in animals at other times when there is no vet on duty.
I have a rooster that I can’t keep due to the complaints of my neighbors. Could I bring it too the center or do you have any recommendations? Please help!
Hey Kylie,
The Center is unable to take in domestic animals for educational purposes or to adopt out. We encourage you to contact the MCPCA at Methuen Farm and also check out other domestic shelters such as Angell and or Animal Rescue League.
If you ever need the others checked out by a veterinarian, DR. Mertz is the guy you want to see. Find our contact information at the top of this page.
Best of luck!
Hello. I have fourteen chickens and one happens to be a rooster. I am not allowed to keep him because he is a pest to my neighbors and they have been complaining. I was wondering if maybe I could bring him there or maybe you could recommend a place for me to bring him? I really don’t want him to be killed if he doesn’t need to be. Please help!
Every year we have a dozen turkeys or so around our wooded area to admire. This spring, I noticed that one has a broken leg it seems – cannot get close to it. She hops on one leg or lays down in yard, then flies in tree at night. We’ve seen her thruout the month and seems to be getting a little bit weaker and I am afraid a predator will attack her. Do you pick up in the area so she can be treated?
Hi Charlene, I so love Turkeys too. We have a few babies in our hospital right now. As you know, your backyard turkey with the broken leg can’t be helped if he can’t be caught. The general rule of thumb with wildlife is that if you can’t catch it, you can’t help it. He/she must be doing ok for now -or you would most likely be able to catch him/her. We do not have funds to pick animals up. Our mission is to care for wildlife that are brought to us and to provide education to the public. That said, you can call the animal rescue league or your animal control officer. If they can, they will capture and bring animals to us that need help. They are also inundated and short of funding. They do a great job, but if they can’t help, it isn’t because they don’t want to. If you do catch your turkey, bring him/her along and we will provide the best medical care we can. Thanks. katrina
Hi Katrina,
Thanks for your response. Could you advise how we should safely capture and carry the live turkey? How do we keep her calm? We can get close enough to capture her, but its what’s next that we’re unsure of. We would like to bring her in.
Hi Charlene, I talked to our veterinary team and they suggested trying to put a trash can over him/her or throwing a blanket. If you do get your turkey in the barrel, use a broom to try to sweep him/her in. If the blanket works wrap it around him/her. Being in the dark should help with stress. We will be open for wildlife admissions again on Tuesday. Please call before you come in to make sure we can take your turkey. Also, please read “what to do if you find a wild animal on this website” if you haven’t taken a look already. Very good luck. I hope you can get him/her. Best, Katrina
Hi, yesterday while my dad was mowing the lawn he found a baby bird, he didn’t look injured but he looked hungry so we fed him a worm. We found him in the middle of a place with no trees or bushes so we think that a hawk dropped him or he fell and walked. What should we do?
Gina- The bird you found might be a fledgling learning to fly. You can put her back where you found her. Give it 24 hours to see if she figures it out or if mom comes to help. Also, read “what to do if you find a wild animal on our website”. Hope that helps. Best of luck.
I live in Hull next to a water surface drainage area that brings surface water out to the bay. We have ducklings born there every year. The moms actally walk the ducklings across the street every June to bring their ducklings to the bay for swimming lessons. Sometimes they have trouble getting back to the drainage area and we have helped them cross the stree.
I just found a mom and all her ducklings in my fenced in yard. I think they hatched here!!! How can I move them to the area with water where they normally nest? If I don’t help them, I’m not sure if they can get out.
Thanks!
Phyllis
Hi Phyllis, How fun to watch the babies every year! That is awesome. I talked to our veterinary staff and they said to try to get them into a box and bring them next door to the drainage area. She may have already found her way out by this evening(?) If not – hopefully you can get mom in the box. Will you please let us know how you make out? Also, if you send us some pictures, we will post them here to share with other people. Hope this helps.
How common is it to see a female wild turkey in the Weymouth area? There’s one in the tree in my back yard. I’ve viewed it with binnoculars and it does appear to be a turkey. Seems fine – just hanging out but I’ve never seen one in this area before.
Hi LeeAnn, Sure, there are lots of turkeys in Weymouth, and all over Massachusetts. You usually don’t see them unless they want to be seen. They are elusive. On the front of our website you will see a post with a turkey picture on it. It will tell you the story of the Common Street Turkey – a beloved turkey that lived on Common Street in Braintree. He hung out by the road and would watch traffic and peck at people’s tires. Sadly, he was hit by a car, and eventually died of his injuries in our hospital. He was a “community” turkey and many, many people are heartbroken and miss him. Right now is baby season, so little ones are around and will bloom into skinny little juveniles mid-summer or so. We once had several turkeys that lived behind our home in Hull. They slept in one tree together at night, which was a hysterical sight. They were so heavy on the sagging branches and appeared to be so obvious to any predator to find. We smiled and laughed and looked for them everyday. Enjoy your turkey. Come visit the wildlife center, last week we had some turkey babies being cared for. Thanks for being in touch LeeAnn.
Hello. We’ve been cleaning out our pool trying to get it open and we found more than 3 dead birds, a few babies in fact. I’m pregnant and had a crying fit for hours but as I was crying I saw another bird lying in the grass. It’s a nestling and I put it in a box with face cloths and I’m putting a heating pad underneath. The bird had some dog food also. I was just wondering if I could bring it in tomorrow?? I can’t find it’s nest anywhere so I think it’s abandoned.
Hi Brianna, That is so sad. I hope we can help the nestling you found. To the best of my knowledge we will be able to admit him/her in the morning (from 10 -2). Please, please call before you come to make sure, especially if you have to travel. You will most likely have a tough time getting through, unfortunately, because of the hundreds of calls we answer each day. If you leave a message for our hospital (781 682 4878 x113) someone will call you back during the day. I realize that this can be frustrating, especially when all you are trying to do is the right thing by the baby bird. I so wish we could care for every wild animal in need that is brought to us. The reality is that there are far too resources. When we are full, we can’t take more patients until “beds” open up. Please see “what to do if you find a wild animal” on this website. It should have some good information, hours and other (limited) resources. Very good luck.
There is chickadee on my front porch. He can fly a few feet but will fly into walls, windows and the ceiling. He is letting me get close to him. Close enough that I don’t think he has any eyes. from all the pictures I have seen on the web they have a dark colored eye. He has white where his eyes should be. I am assuming that he has been abandoned. What can I do with him?
Hi Deidre,
Thanks for taking time out of your day to look out for native wildlife. It sounds like this bird should be checked out by a veterinarian. You are welcome to bring the animal to us from Tuesday through Friday from 10AM-2PM. Unfortunately, state regulations mandate that a vet must be present for all incoming animals, and those are the only hours I am available. In a pinch, you may be able to bring the animal to another veterinarian who may be willing to treat the bird until it can be transferred to us.
I found an injured fledgling in Boston last night at 8pm in the Public Garden. It was in the open grass and could hop around, but not fly. It didn’t even budge when dogs came close. Kids almost crushed it several times running. I called ARL Boston, but they were closed. Their recorded message was to contact Boston Police for wild animal matters. Boston Police could not help, but told me to call the Mayor’s hotline. The Mayor’s hotline took down my location and promised to contact animal control to help the injured bird. I went back at midnight and it was still there, alive, but it looked like it was sleeping. I fear it probably did not make it through the night due to dogs, people, etc. Reading about bird rescue, I now know that I should have moved it to bushes or someplace safer. It was very frustrating. My question: what is the best # to call after hours and on weekends for bird rescue in Boston? I’ve had similar instances where people just ignore the suffering animal or bird. Thank you.
Hi Dietrich, You did the best you could for the bird. What an effort, just to try to find help. We hear that kind of story over and over again, everyday, and it is so heartbreaking. At the Center, the best day we have is when we have room, and can not only help the wild animal, but also people like you who care enough to bring the wild animal to us. I so wish we could take in every animal that needs us. Sometimes Animal Rescue League and animal control officers can bring wild animals that are orphaned or harmed to our wildlife hospital and education center. In the state of Massachusetts there is no public funded facility and there is no other wildlife hospital and education center in metro Boston. We only exist because a few neighbors got together and decided to try to provide at least some response for the millions that need help each year. The Center is funded exclusively by people like you. Go to “what to do if you find a wild animal” on this website for a list of other resources. There are very few. That is one of the reasons that the Center focuses on education. For each student we teach, the more animals we can reach. Thanks Dietrich.
Hi,
I have an injured sparrow. It was living in an eve of our house that our builder was going to repair. Unfortunately the bird got mixed up in some caulking. My wife and I got most of the caulk off of it by repeatedly dipping the bird in luke warm water and gently rubbing with a damp paper towel. We dried the bird off as best we could and put it in a shoe box on top of a warm water bottle because it was shaking from being cold. It is now not shaking and resting. I would like to bring it in if possible Saturday AM, 6/4. We will try to feed it some mushed up dog food/yogurt/water mixture.
Please advise. Thanks, Peter
Hi Peter, If he is clean and dry, you can try to release him in the morning. Great choice on the food! Back to the wild is best, if he/she can fly. Unfortunately, we do not have a wildlife veterinarian on tommorow and we can’t accept wildlife unless we do in order to comply with state law. You did so good getting that off, that must have been really tough to wash. I am so sorry we can’t take him tommorow. Please see “what to do if you find a wild animal” on our website and it will list other possibilities for you and explain further about the rules and regulations that the Center is required to follow. I wish we could take all wild animals in need, every day. Unfortuantely, we can’t. Very, very good luck.
Hi Katrina,
I appreciate your nice reply. I’m very appreciative that you responded so quickly. Even if the shelter can’t accept the animals it is at least some comfort to be able to contact someone and get a nice, and helpful response. Thanks again, Peter
Hi, I have an injured bird — he cannot fly- can I bring him to the center. It is Friday at 6:30 p.m. 6/3/11. Please advise. Thank you.,
Hi Ann, We can’t take him tommorow because we don’t have a vet on and it is against the law for us to take an injured wild animal without a vet on because we employ vets. I wish we could. Please see “what to do if you find a wild animal” on our website and it will list other possibilities. Thank you. Very best of luck.
Hi everyone,
I have a squirrel that has somehow hurt his leg ( maybe hit by a car). I have him in a box and he is resting. Do you have room at the clinic to treat him?
Thanks.
Carol
Hi Carol, we can’t take her tommorow because there is no vet on. I am so sorry. There is a list on our website under “what to do if you find a wild animal”. It will list other options. Unfortunately, there are not many. Our hospital and education center is here becasue a few citizens came together to try to provide a community response. We can only serve a tiny fraction of those in need. It hurts us that we can’t take every wild animal that needs help. I so hope you find help for squirrel.
Hi,
I work in Boston and the other day I came upon a green heron at lunch that seemed lost and weak and war roaming around an alcove next to a high-rise building. When it tried to fly, it flew into the side of the building. I picked it up, and though somewhat stunned, it seemed okay. I gave it to the landscaper of the building, who told me he would take it to the rooftop garden to see if it would fly from there. My question is: What if it’s unable to fly? Can I bring it to you folks? If not, who?
Hi Britt, Yes you can bring the green heron to us if it cannot fly. Our veterinary staff will do our best to help and, if the green heron heals we will release him or her back to the wild. Just call the Center and dial ext 113 for our hosptial directlyto find out if our hospital is full and “off admission”. We are able to accept wild animal patients today (we are “on admission) , and as far as I know from our veterinary team, we will be able to accept wildlife patients tomorrow. Please read the summary that appears above the instructions on the page “what to do if you find a wild animal”. It is important to understand our function, what we can and cannot do and why. I hope you can bring the heron to us if he/she can’t fly. It is so painful to watch them when they are hurt and helpless! Very best of luck, Katrina
We have a baby racoon that needs feeding it doesn’t know how to eat by it self. Can you please pick it up before it dies. We all ready lost his sibling. Please call me at 781-894-8951
Thanks,
Effie
Hi Effie,
Unfortunately, we do not have means to transport or rescue animals at this time. We recommend calling the Animal Rescue League of Boston at (617) 426-9170. They should be able to come out and pick up the animal and transfer it to a rehabilitator.
My dog found a nest of baby rabbits in the yard. Unfortunately he killed 3 of them, but there are 4 or 5 still alive in the nest. I know that I cannot move the nest but I also cannot guard it for the next 4 weeks until they are able to leave the nest (there are other tenants whose dogs use the yard). If I put some wire fencing around it, will the mother still come back? Any other suggestions? How do I deter other rabbits from building nests in our yard?
Hi Nicolle,
This is a common and very frustrating problem this time of year. The House Rabbit Society has some really good information on what to do in these situations. Here is the link to the page http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/orphan.html. As long as the wire fence is large enough to allow mom to jump through (about 6 inch wide holes), there is a good chance she will be able come rescue them and bring them somewhere safer. Discouraging rabbits from nesting in your yard can be very difficult. They like to make a nest in a shallow depression in ground that has tall grass around it for cover. So eliminating those features is a place to start. Fencing placed around the perimeter is also a good way to keep rabbits out of gardens and other areas where they are unwanted. Good luck.
Hi, just found a baby raccoon, I think about 5-7 weeks old that fell off of our roof today. I was wondering if you have room for this guy?
Hi Scott, Yes we do have room for a baby raccoon, but the best thing for him or her is to be reunited with mom if possible. Never handle the baby raccoon with your bare hands. If you can, place the baby in a shallow box for a few hours to see if mom will come back to get him or her. The baby is going to be much better off with mom, sister and brother raccoons. If this doesn’t work, our hospital is on admission tomorrow 10 am – 2 pm. Also, please read on this website “what to do if you find a wild animal” . Best of luck! Katrina
Hi all…I just found an oppossum in my garage, and it has babies..at least 2 that I saw. It must of got in last nite sometime…I was going in and out…
and negelected (ugh!) to close the door. The question is…do I leave it alone, and hope it leaves, (if I leave the door open some) or try a hav-a-heart trap?? Any help would be appreciated! Thanx,
Laura
Hi Laura, Try leaving the door open. The new opossum family will most likely leave within one or two days. Please be sure not to leave food out or they may hang out with you longer. Best of luck. Let us know how you make out. Katrina
Have baby fox roaming the neighborhood at 2am 2 or 3 nights ion a row now crying for it’s mom.
Can anyone help!?
Plymouth – Paul 617 620 8841
Hello Paul, I spoke to one of our wildlife docs. If the baby was crying and lost, he/she would most likely cry off and on during the day and night. It may be that mom is off finding food and the baby is not yet mature enough to go along. Hope this helps. Thanks for your question.