Sick or Injured Wildlife
If you think a wild animal is sick or injured, please read on before you contact a wildlife rehabilitator. In most cases, wild animals should be left alone.
Sick or Injured Wildlife
If you are unable to reach someone and need to assist an animal quickly, follow these general steps, and always remember to keep yourself safe!
- Prepare a crate or a box for the injured animal. Line the bottom with a sheet or non-looping towel so that the animal can stand without sliding around.
- In most cases, throwing a towel or sheet over the animal works well; this helps contain/restrain the animal, and also covers its eyes, which helps reduce stress. Wearing protective gloves, pick up the animal and move into the transport container. Use extra caution (medical gloves inside of leather gloves) when assisting mammals, as they can carry rabies.
- Secure the container so that the animal cannot escape. If using a cardboard box, make sure flaps are secured with tape.
- House the animal in a warm, dark, quiet area, away from people and pets. Resist the urge to peek or take photos; while this may be an exciting experience for you, remember it is quite stressful to the animal. Avoid talking, loud music, and other disturbing noises. Unless otherwise instructed by a permitted wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian, do not feed or give water to the animal. Food can often end up making an injured animal sick; it can also impede further treatment when a wildlife rehabilitator receives the animal!
- Get the animal to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian as soon as possible.
Remember, it’s illegal to rehabilitate wildlife without a permit, and criminal to keep wild animals as pets. Trained wildlife rehabbers will know how to best assist the injured animal in question and can begin effective treatment with the goal of returning them to the wild.
Interested in helping more wild animals? Contact us to learn how to volunteer or donate.
Vounteer with Us
Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre offers a once in a lifetime volunteer experience. Our paid-for volunteer programme is designed to give volunteers a genuine understanding of the rescue, rehabilitation, rewilding, and release processes, for a variety of wild animals.
What We Do
Umoya Khulula operates as a 24-hour wildlife rescue centre in South Africa.
Umoya Khulula rescues animals from cases that can be ascribed to human effect, whether it be due to ignorance, negligence, or cruelty.
The objective of wildlife rehabilitation is to provide licensed care to sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals so ultimately they can be returned to their normal wild environment. Animals in rehabilitation can spend anywhere from a few days to several months at Umoya Khulula before release. It all depends on the species, how old they were when they arrived, and the severity of their injuries.
Releases take place on sites that have been inspected and approved by Umoya Khulula animal care staff. Release sites are often large acreages, and all are chosen to meet species-specific needs for vegetation and terrain and that have year-round water and food sources.
RESCUE: 1st stage at our wildlife rescue centre
Umoya Khulula rescues animals from cases that can be ascribed to human effect, whether it be due to ignorance, negligence, or cruelty.
REHABILITATION: 2nd stage at our wildlife rescue centre
The objective of wildlife rehabilitation is to provide licensed care to sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals so ultimately they can be returned to their normal wild environment. Animals in rehabilitation can spend anywhere from a few days to several months at Umoya Khulula before release. It all depends on the species, how old they were when they arrived, and the severity of their injuries.
RELEASE: Final stage at our wildlife rescue centre
Releases take place on sites that have been inspected and approved by Umoya Khulula animal care staff. Release sites are often large acreages, and all are chosen to meet species-specific needs for vegetation and terrain and that have year-round water and food sources.
