Tips & Tricks for co-existing with Wildlife

Finding Baby Raccoons, Squirrels, Skunks

If you have found baby wildlife such as a squirrel, raccoon, or skunk, please handle them as little as possible as your scent might deter the mother from retrieving them. The mother should locate them within two to three hours. For very tiny hairless babies with their eyes shut, you may put them into a small box with a soft cloth or towel and put the box on a source of low heat such as a heating pad or hot water bottle. Put the box outside where you found the babies so that the mother can access them. If the babies are still there after 3 hours do not feed them or give them any type of liquid. If the babies have their eyes open you may give them a small shallow dish of water. For older babies if you watch them over a period of time and they are not crying you can get them to cry but only doing so very, very carefully and alert their mother by holding them gently and pinching their tails very gently at the base of the spine.

Wait at least 24 hours to see if the mother has taken the babies away. If the babies have not been removed you may bring them down to the Society.

The Toronto Humane Society is a provincially accredited rehabilitation center. If you find immature wildlife and you have followed the protocol allowing the mother the opportunity to retrieve them or if you have found injured wild animals or birds you can bring them to our 11 River Street shelter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for rehabilitation or rearing The Queen car stops at River St, just steps from our door, and we have free parking at the rear of the shelter.

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Back to Wildlife Rehab

The Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Department cares for injured and immature animals. The Toronto Humane Society has cared for a variety of wild animals such as owls, hawks, deer, foxes, beavers, and raccoons. We have the expertise and knowledge to help rehabilitate these animals. The Shelter has both indoor and outdoor facilities to keep our wild animals safe.

For more information call: 416.392.2273

Hours of Operation: Seasonal.