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  Finding Wildlife  

Spring and summer are the most common times of year that people find baby and orphaned wildlife.  Throughout the rest of the year, injured wildlife are common, especially on road sites and in urban areas.  If you see an injured or orphaned wildlife, take every precaution to ensure your safety and the safety of the animal.  


NEVER interact with wildlife if you are not comfortable, or if the circumstance looks like it could be dangerous.  Most rescue and rehabilitation societies have trained volunteers who will come out and preform the rescue for you.  If you are unsure of what to do, ALWAYS ask.

It is in the best interest of the animal and yourself to contact a rescue society.

  What Do I Do?  

1.  Remember it is not within the mandate of the AESRD (Government of Alberta) to rescue injured or orphaned wildlife. 

Wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release is undertaken by Wildlife Rehabilitation Facilities (see side panel), all of which are staffed by volunteers and funded through donations. 

2.  STOP and evaluate the situation.  Make sure it is SAFE for you and the animal BEFORE stepping in.

- If it is a bird, take note of what may have caused injury to the bird (glass, other animal, fallen from nest).
- If it is a hatchling, see if you can find a nest and RETURN the bird to the nest.  Parent birds will NOT abandon their nest or offspring if a human has been in contact.
- If it is an animal, look to see if you can tell what caused the injury.  If there is immediate danger to yourself, do NOT step in.  Call a rescue number.
- If  it is a larger animal (such as a bear, cougar, elk, etc.) make sure there is NO sign of any other animal in the area.  It is best if you do NOT attempt a rescue of these animals.  Call a rescuer, Parks Canada or Fish and Wildlife.
- If the animal appears to be an orphan, LOOK around very carefully BEFORE you touch or move it. Baby bunnies and deer fawns should be left alone (unless you see the mother dead beside or near the orphan).

3.    Contact the nearest wildlife rehabilitation facility (numbers to the right).

4.    Check to see if you have a blanket, or a coat or something big enough to cover the animal, check to see if you have gloves. Check to see if you have a box or something to carry the animal in.

5.    BEFORE YOU ACT to rescue the animal you have found, think carefully about how you are going to go about rescuing it, plan what you are going to do, and then, act with confidence. This will take a little time but it is time well spent. Following a plan and acting with confidence will keep you safer and will reassure the animal you are handling.

6.     If the animal is lying helpless on the ground: Cover it carefully with a blanket or a coat. Once it is in the dark it is less likely to fight, more likely to relax.

6.     If it is a bird of prey, baby or adult, make sure the cloth/blanket/coat or whatever, covers its feet…the talons of birds of prey are the most dangerous bit of the bird but if they have a good grasp of cloth with their feet and their heads are well covered up it is easy and fairly safe to handle them.

7.    Talk gently to it as you would to a domestic animal, dog/horse

8.    If the animal appears to be an orphan, LOOK around very carefully before you touch it. Baby bunnies and deer fawns should be left alone (unless you see the mother dead beside the fawn)

9.    If the animal appears to be an orphan, LOOK around very carefully before you touch it. Baby bunnies and deer fawns should be left alone (unless you see the mother dead beside the fawn)

10.    Once wrapped in the cloth/blanket/coat/or whatever you have covered it with, pick up the  animal and put it in a box.

11.     Leave the box in a cool dark quiet place until you can get it either to a rehab facility or a rehab facility volunteer can collect it.  Do not worry about feeding the animal.

Rescue Societies

Cochrane Research Institute (CRI)
(formerly Cochrane Ecological Institute)
403-932-5632
cei@nucleus.com

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Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (CWRS)
403-239-2488
www.calgarywildlife.org

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Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Edmonton 
780-297-3979
www.wildlife-edm.ca

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Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation
(AIWC)
403-946-2361
http://www.aiwc.ca/

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