Wildlife Rescue Resources

WILDLIFE CENTER OF TEXAS

Found an animal? The expertise of the Wildlife Center of Texas is always available by phone or in person.

In the case of unwanted wildlife in or around your home, it is best to speak to someone with the Wildlife Center of Texas before intervention since relocation can be a death sentence. The trained staff at the Wildlife Center of Texas is available to answer all of your questions and can often provide solutions for wildlife relocation.

Experienced volunteers are available at 713-861-WILD (713-861-9453), 7 days a week from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, except New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

WILDLIFE FAQs:

Edit Content

Soak a few rags in ammonia and leave them around the attic for three nights in a row. Leave the lights on as well. The squirrels will be driven out by the smell and the light, taking any offspring with them. Once you think they’re gone, sprinkle some flour on the attic floor to show any new tracks. If none appear, be sure to seal any holes they may have entered through.

Edit Content

If you do not want birds nesting on your porch, you either need to put up a barrier or knock the nest down as the birds are trying to build it. Once you have a nest with eggs it, it illegal to harm the birds. The good news is that it only takes about a month for the birds to go from eggs to fledged and flying around, so you will just have to be patient.

Edit Content

Dive-bombing is a common behavior for bluejays and mockingbirds. This means there is a nest nearby. We recommend walking out with an umbrella. The problem will usually end within a month or two as the babies leave the nest.

Edit Content

During nesting season, birds will see their reflection in the window and mistake it for another bird. Being territorial, they will attempt to fight with the bird they see. Window decals will help distract the bird, or you may need to hang a branch in front of the window for a few weeks.

Edit Content

Fox urine can be purchased at Academy in the hunting section. Spray it around your porch in the evening a few nights in a row. This is a predator smell for opossums, and they will find a new home as soon as possible. Since opossums carry their babies in their pouch with them, you can do this any time of year.

Edit Content

Transport your pet responsibly to ensure that there are no further injuries to you or your pet:

  • Stay calm
  • If your pet is aggressive, seek help. Put towels around the head or neck to prevent bites while transporting
  • If your pet needs it, fashion a stretcher and gently lift them onto it
  • Support the neck and back in case they have any spinal injuries
  • Make sure your pet is comfortable and secure in the car
  • Call ahead so that the veterinarian can be prepared for your emergency, time is of the essence.
Edit Content

Leave the baby on the ground where you found it for 2-3 hours to give the mother a chance to retrieve it. Once a mama squirrel realizes a baby fell out, she will come down and get it. If you have already touched it, don’t worry – she will still take it back. If you found a squirrel with no nest around or that a cat or dog brought to you, then you need to bring it to our Intake Center.

Edit Content

Be very careful! Use gloves or a thick towel to get the squirrel into a secure box. They have very sharp teeth, and you do not want to get bitten. It is very rare for a squirrel to carry rabies, but you still do not want to put yourself at risk. We will treat the squirrel when it is brought into our Intake Center.

Edit Content

Put the bird into a box and bring it to our Intake Center. If the bird is still able to hop around, we recommend you try to corner it and throw a towel over it so you are able to scoop it into a box with the least amount of trauma to the bird. We set many wings and legs, and treat all kinds of bites, eye injuries, and shock.

Edit Content

First determine if the bird is a nestling or a fledgling. A nestling is a very young bird that has just hatched and has little to no feathers. If it’s a nestling, your best option is to return the bird to the nest if you see it. It is okay to the bird, the mom will continue to feed it.. If you are unable to reach the nest, you can create a make-shift nest such as a plastic bowl with a couple of holes at the bottom of the bowl or basket and nail it as high up you can reach up the tree; the mom will feed it from there.

If the bird is a fledgling, it will appear fluffy, with some feathers and a few naked patches. These birds are meant to be on the ground and in low branches. They spend about a week learning to fly and the parents will feed them and try to keep them hidden in a bush or up against your house. Watch the bird to make sure it does not appear lethargic. These birds do very well on the ground, and it is the only way they will learn to survive on their own. Cats, dogs, and kids always seem like major threats to these small, young birds, but resist the urge to pick it up and bring it into us unless it is injured or unable to stand.

Edit Content

Female opossums are marsupials, so they carry their young around in their pouch. They can have 13 babies at one time, so if one falls out, they do not come back for it. If you find a baby opossum, it needs to be brought into our Intake Center.

If you see a dead opossum on the side of the road with babies that are still alive, you can either bring us the adult and we can look for babies in the pouch, or you can just bring us the babies. Opossums are able to survive on their own when they are about 10 inches long from the tip of their nose to the base of their tail. Any opossum smaller than that needs to be brought into our Intake Center, so we can finish raising it.

Edit Content

Leave it alone until you have talked to a wildlife rehabilitator! Chances are, mom has just hidden it for the day and will return at dusk or evening to feed it. Do not attempt to feed it as it can make the deer seriously sick. There are 6 main questions you should be prepared to answer:

  • Lift the fawn’s tail. Is it clean or dirty underneath?
  • Pinch skin above the shoulders and observe how fast it flattens. Does the skin flatten quickly or very slowly? (Determines dehydration)
  • Is the inside of the fawn’s mouth warm, neutral, or cold?
  • Are fire ants present on the fawn? If yes, how many?
  • What is the posture of the fawn (ex. lying down, limping, sleeping, on side?)
  • Are there obvious injuries to the fawn? (ex. broken leg, injured eye, dog bite, etc.)
Edit Content

Call the Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden: 512-389-4848

SOURCE: Austin Wildlife Rescue (This should be included at the bottom part of the FAQs)

Hours

Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 7:00 pm
Saturday 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Sunday Closed

HOLIDAY HOURS

Please refer to our Google or social media pages for holiday hours

© Copperfield Animal Clinic. 2023 All Rights Reserved