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Injured or dead wild animal

Found an injured or dead wild animal? What to do?

What to do if you find a fledgling ?

Most importantly, do not rush in to help… Most fledglings still depend on their parents once they leave the nest. Many do not wait until they have learned to fly before they set out to explore their surroundings. If you think you have found a bird which has fallen out of its nest and is lost, you may be tempted to rescue it: however, sadly, this would almost certainly lead to its death through malnutrition.

The best thing to do, therefore, is to leave the chick where you found it, or perhaps place it on a high branch or in a bush, out of reach of cats. If you watch from a distance for a while, you may have the opportunity to see it being fed by its parents. If this is not the case, or if the chick is injured or in danger, contact the animal care centre for advice.

Owing to numbers, the animal care centre does not take in crows or urban pigeons.

What to do if you find an injured animal ?

If it is a young animal, look around carefully – its parents may be nearby. The young animal may not actually have been abandoned.

Place the animal in a cardboard box with air holes so it can breathe. Place a cloth or some paper towel at the bottom of the box, but avoid using cotton wool!

If you have a hot water bottle, you can place it in the box to help the animal stay warm. Leave enough room for the animal to move if it is warm enough.

Important: do not give the animal anything to eat or drink. It is already traumatised and what it most needs is to be left in peace. Let the animal calm down by closing the box. The less stressed it is, the better its chances of survival.

Call the animal care centre on +41 (0)79 737 11 23. If you do not get a reply, you can keep the animal overnight and bring it in the next day. But it is important to reiterate: the animal must not be given anything to eat or drink and it must be left to rest in a quiet place.

What to do if you find a dead animal ?

Call us on +41 (0)32 967 65 00.