Most people don’t realize that keeping any wildlife is illegal unless you have the proper licenses to do so.
If you find a baby animal, keep it in a warm, dark, quiet place and call your local wildlife rehabilitator (see details below) to arrange transport as soon as possible.
Important Wildlife Care Guidelines
Minimize Handling
- Handle the baby as little as possible.
- Improper care and handling can compromise the baby’s health, recovery, and chances for eventual release.
- Wildlife at any age is severely stressed in a human’s care. What we see as comfort, such as holding and cuddling, they see as a life-threatening situation.
- Contact with humans and domestic animals is extremely stressful for wildlife. Please minimize handling and environmental stress by keeping wildlife in a dark, quiet room away from people and other animals.
Keeping the Baby Warm
- All small babies should be kept warm, NOT hot.
- A sock filled with rice and heated in the microwave for 1 minute will stay warm for about an hour.
- Do not place the baby directly on the sock—it gets too hot. Instead, place the baby in a towel or old t-shirt next to the sock.
- Hot water in an empty plastic bottle can work as well but will not stay hot as long.
- If you have a heating pad:
- Put the animal in a small, towel-covered carrier lined with soft, ravel-free cloths.
- Place half of the carrier on a heating pad set on low.
Do NOT Feed the Baby
- Rehabilitators use special formulas for each species, so avoid giving any food.
- Extremely dehydrated animals may be given replacement electrolyte fluids SQ by qualified personnel.
- A cold baby cannot digest any foods or liquids—they must be warmed first.
Local Wildlife Rehabilitators
- Fox Valley Wildlife Center
- Hoffman Estates – Animal Trackers Wildlife Company
- Chicago Critter Getters
- ABC Humane Wildlife Control and Prevention
- Willowbrook Wildlife Center
- Critter Control
- Little Rascals Inc.
- The Wildlife Rehabilitation Directory – Rehabbers By State
Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers in Illinois
- Abandoned Wild Babies Animal Rescue
- Kane Area Rehabilitation And Education For Wildlife (KARE)
- Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation
Note: Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation operates in three locations: 60010, 60143, and 60606.