Injured or dead wild animal

If he’s ill or injured, call the nursing station. If it’s a baby bird: above all, don’t rush… Most young birds are still dependent on their parents when they leave the nest. Many of them don’t wait to learn how to fly before venturing out on their own. Thinking it’s a nestling that has fallen from the nest and is lost, you may be tempted to take it in: unfortunately, this condemns it to almost certain death due to inadequate feeding. The best thing to do is to leave the chick where it is, or put it on a high branch or in a bush away from cats. If you observe it for a moment from a distance, you may be lucky enough to witness the parents feeding it. If not, or if the chick is in danger or injured, contact the care station for advice. For reasons of numbers, carrion crows and city pigeons are not cared for.

If it’s sick or injured, call the rescue station. If it’s a young hare or fawn, keep a close eye on the surroundings – the parents may not be far away. Perhaps the youngster isn’t really abandoned. If you have to take charge of the animal, place it in a cardboard box with holes to allow it to breathe. At the bottom, place a cloth or household paper, but be careful not to use absorbent cotton! If you have a hot water bottle, place it in the box to keep the animal warm. Leave enough room for him to move away if he gets hot enough. Important: do not feed or drink the animal. He’s already traumatized and needs to calm down. Leave the animal alone and close the box. The less stressed he is, the better his chances of survival. Call the nursing station on +41 (0)79 737 11 23. Outside opening hours, you can keep the animal overnight and bring it in the next day. But be careful: once again, don’t give the animal anything to eat or drink, and leave it in a quiet place.