About Wildlife Rehabilitation

The International Council for Wildlife Rehabilitation (IWRC) says about wildlife rehabilitation: “It is the managed process whereby a displaced, sick, injured or orphaned wild animal regains the health and skills it requires to function normally and live self-sufficiently.

The definition may seem simple, but there is a staggering amount of work behind those words.
The successful return of a wild animal to its natural habitat is the result of a community effort, with each individual contributing to achieve a common goal.”

The most common patients at Walden’s Puddle include Eastern Cottontail rabbits, Virginia Opossums, Gray Squirrels, Raccoons, Eastern Box and Red-eared Slider turtles, Mallard Ducks, numerous different species of Songbirds, and a variety of raptors including, American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks, and Eastern Screech, Great Horned and Barred owls.

Our Animal Care Manager has many years of experience. All our animal care employees have received training in Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation offered by IWRC and are trained to care for most animals that are native to Tennessee.

Walden’s Puddle maintains permits and strong collaborative relationships with the two governmental organizations that oversee wildlife rehabilitation --  Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are also permitted by the USDA. Walden's Puddle receives no government funding. We are members of the National Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Association (NWRA), the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) and the Tennessee Wildlife Educators and Rehabilitators Association (TWERA).

Tennessee state law prohibits individuals from keeping wild animals without a permit. This is done for the well being of the animal itself as well as for the protection of the person who found it. Because of this, Walden's Puddle does not give out feeding instructions. We do, however, want to assist you and the animal that you have found, so we offer emergency instructions for wildlife care for your use until you can get the animal to us! It may then be admitted to the center by appointment. Please call (615) 299-9938 and leave a message. We will return your call as promptly as possible and schedule a time for your admission. Please keep in mind that we are restricted by law to the rehabilitation of animals found only within the state of Tennessee.

Walden's Puddle is a non-profit organization and does not charge a fee for services. If you would like to make a donation, we gladly welcome your support! In fact, we absolutely depend on your support to perform the overwhelming load of rehabilitation services and free educational programs for the community.

Please handle the animal that you have found with care. Over handling an animal can lead to stress-related death. Also, because wild animals can have communicable diseases, you should always wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after any contact with the animal. Should you be bitten, the animal may need to be euthanized and checked for disease.

EMERGENCY ANIMAL CARE  |  INJURIES  |  ORPHANS  |  BATS  |  EASTERn BOX TURTLES   

EMERGENCY ANIMAL CARE  |  INJURIES  |  ORPHANS  |  BATS  |  EASTERn BOX TURTLES   

If you have found an injured animal, please follow these instructions:

• Prepare a cardboard box or pet carrier by placing an old towel or rags inside. The box should only be large enough for the animal to rest comfortably in but not so large that it can thrash around and cause further damage. Make sure there is adequate ventilation.
• Wear heavy gloves to prevent risk of injury or transfer of diseases.
• If the animal is small and not attempting to bite, scratch or puncture you with talons, pick it up and place it in the container.
• If the animal is large or attempting to do any of the above, gently use a broom or similar item to scoot it into the container. If the animal is winged, you can throw a sheet or blanket over it and slide it into the box.
• Keep in mind when capturing the animal the way in which it hunts or forages for food. Does it use its talons, its beak or its teeth to hunt? It will also use these to defend itself.
• Be mindful of the animal and the chosen transport container. Make sure that it is secure. Many animals can squeeze through the smallest of gaps and can push or pull with great strength when scared. Also, many animals such as chipmunks and squirrels can chew through cardboard. Keep this in mind as loose animals in a car can be a tricky situation.
• Place the container in a warm, dark, quiet place away from people and pets to reduce its stress until you are able to get it to Walden's Puddle or your local wildlife rehabilitator.
• Warmth is critical as the animal's body temperature is lowered when in shock. It may be helpful to place a heating pad on LOW underneath only half of the animal's box or carrier.

   

EMERGENCY ANIMAL CARE  |  INJURIES  |  ORPHANS  |  BATS  |  EASTERn BOX TURTLES   

Eastern Cottontail Rabbits

It is very common to uncover a nest of cottontail rabbits that may appear to be abandoned, but mother rabbits do not abandon their babies under normal circumstances.  She only feeds her babies once or twice during a 24 hour period, usually between dusk and dawn.  You may never see her return to the nest.  If the babies’ eyes are still closed, they are under 10 days old.  If they look plump, are nestled snuggly next to each other and do not appear to be in any immediate danger, leave them alone!

• You can check to see if the mother is coming back to the nest by looking at the babies’ bellies, first thing in the morning. They should be round, full, and fat.
• Keep your dogs and cats away from the area and the baby cottontails will be ready to leave the nest at 3-4 weeks of age.
• If the nest has been disturbed, even by a lawnmower, just put all the babies and bedding back in place. The mother won’t mind at all.
• If you find a small rabbit hopping around that appears to be too young to be on its own, remember that if it is as big as a tennis ball and can run away from you—it does not need your help.

If you determine that the babies are injured or in need of assistance:

• Place them in a small box with the bedding from their nest, if possible, or soft rags. Baby cottontails are incredibly fragile and do not take handling by humans well. THEY WILL DIE OF STRESS IF HANDLED IMPROPERLY.
• Keep baby rabbits in a box in a warm, quiet place away from children, household noise, domestic pets and bright lights. If you have a heating pad, turn it on low and place it under one half of the box.
• DO NOT attempt to feed ANY type of formula to a baby rabbit. To do so may cause its death. If you have to keep it overnight, you should only attempt to rehydrate it. You must wait until the baby rabbit warms up, as a cold animal
  cannot digest properly.  Prepare a 50/50 mixture of Pedialyte OR Gatorade with
  water. Once the rabbit has warmed up, you may gently attempt to give it drops
  of this warmed mixture with a syringe.  If it will not swallow, do not force it as
  this could lead to aspiration. If the bunny doesn’t have its eyes opened yet, you will need to stimulate it to urinate and/or defecate. Slightly dampen a cotton ball with warm water and gently stroke the genital area to encourage it to urinate. These instructions are good for the 24 hour period that it might take for you to get the baby rabbit to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
• Call Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Hotline at 615-299-9938 or your local wildlife rehabilitator.

Virginia Opossums

Opossums are North America’s only marsupial.  The female carries and nurses her young (up to 13 at a time!) in her pouch until they are about 2-3 months old.  Then they are carried another 1-3 months on her back when they are outside their den. They are omnivores that have been around since the days of the dinosaurs.  Fossil remains have been found from 70 million years ago.  They have 50 teeth, more than any other mammal, and their hind feet have thumbs, just like human hands.  Learning and discrimination tests rank them above dogs, and more on the level of pigs. They have a prehensile tail they use for balance when climbing or to carry leaves back to their den for bedding.  They do not, however, hang by their tail.  They are solitary and nocturnal, preferring to avoid all confrontations.  When cornered, they may hiss and growl or fall into an involuntary shock-like state.  Unfortunately, few live beyond 1 year of age in the wild as they are killed by many predators: humans (and cars), dogs, cats, owls, and larger wildlife.

Sometimes you will find a small opossum that has been separated from its mother.  If its body is more than 8 inches long, not including the tail, it is old enough to be on its own!  If it is injured or smaller than this, it will need assistance.

If you have found a baby opossum, a young opossums with no mother, or you know the mother to be dead:

• It is critical that the young opossums be kept warm.
• Place the opossums in a box lined with soft rags and close the lid.  They are very good climbers, so make certain that the lid is secure.  If you have a heating pad, turn it on low and place half the box on top of the pad.
• Place the box in a warm, dark, quiet area away from people and pets.
• Should you have to keep the baby opossums overnight until you can get them to a licensed rehabilitator, you may attempt to rehydrate them, ONCE they have warmed up.  You may make a 50/50 solution of either Pedialyte OR Gatorade and water.  After the little opossums have warmed up, you can try to carefully give them drops of this warmed liquid with a syringe.  Do not force them, if they won’t swallow.  To do so can cause aspiration, which can be fatal.  Do not attempt to give them ANY type of formula or milk.  If the baby opossums still have their eyes closed, they will need to be stimulated to urinate and defecate. After hydrating, gently wipe their genital area with a cotton ball, slightly moistened with warm water.  If the baby you have found is 4” long or longer, has its eyes opened, and isn’t lethargic, you may give it a little applesauce in a shallow lid.  These emergency feeding instructions are only good for the 24 hour period it might take you to get the orphan to a licensed rehabilitator.
• Call Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Hotline at 615-299-9938 or your local wildlife rehabilitator.

Squirrels

We have three types of squirrels in our area: Gray Squirrels, Fox Squirrels, and the nocturnal Southern Flying Squirrels.  If you find an infant squirrel that has fallen from its nest and is not injured:

• First, watch and see if the mother comes for it. This can best be done by remaining indoors where your presence will not frighten her. Remember that mother squirrels do not voluntarily abandon their babies. It is fine if the baby vocalizes and cries out; this will help the mother locate it. Do not leave the baby outside if the weather is bad or if a marauding cat, dog or other predator is near. You may need to bring the baby inside until a storm passes or predators move on.
• If the mother doesn’t return for her baby within 2 hours, or before it gets dark, place it in a box lined with soft rags and keep it in a warm, dark, quiet place. If you have a heating pad, turn it on low and place half the box on top of it.
• Only if you must keep the orphan overnight should you attempt to give it anything by mouth.  Keeping it warm is the most important thing.  Do not give it ANY type of formula or milk.  Baby squirrels require a specialized diet and can develop fatal problems from being fed an incorrect formula.  If necessary, you may make a rehydrating solution of 50%Pedialyte OR Gatorade and 50% water. Once the baby has warmed up, you may carefully try to give it drops of this warmed solution with a syringe.  Do not force it if the baby won’t swallow.  To do so may cause it to aspirate.  If the baby squirrel still has its eyes closed, it will need to be stimulated to urinate and defecate.  After hydration, gently wipe its genital area with a cotton ball, slightly moistened with warm water.
• Call Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Hotline at 615-299-9938 or your local wildlife rehabilitator.

Fawns

In Tennessee, white-tailed fawns are usually born around May 15th to June 15th, but they can be born as early as April and as late as August.  A doe will stake out a territory and her fawns are the only fawns in that particular area.   It may be as small as 2 acres or as large as 20 acres.  She will give birth, clean the fawn, feed it and move it away from the birthing site.  The doe leaves the fawn alone for eight hours or more, while she feeds, drinks, and her milk replenishes.  She will return several times during the course of the day to feed and/or clean her baby before leaving once again.  Young fawns have little scent and spend most of the first 2 weeks of their life inactive, except while nursing.  Since their natural instinct for these 2 weeks is freeze behaviour, it is unlikely they will be found by dogs or coyotes (unless they trip over them).  For a doe to stay with her fawn would give away its hiding place.  If her fawn is moved, she will look for her baby for 2-3 days, continually returning to the area where she last left it.  By one month of age, most fawns begin to venture out to browse with their mothers.  Fawns are occasionally abandoned. The doe may have been killed, she may have had twins or triplets and one is a lot smaller than the others or she may be a first time inexperienced doe scared away from her fawn by people or dogs.

Under certain circumstances the fawn should be rescued immediately:

• If found next to a dead doe
• If it is injured, has severe scrapes, deep puncture wounds, or something is broken
• If it has maggots or lots of flies around or is heavily infested with ticks around the eyes
• If it has diarrhea
• If it is severely dehydrated
• If it’s body temperature is extremely low
• If it is found laying on its side with outstretched limbs

If the fawn you have found doesn’t fit the above criteria, a hands-on check can help determine if the fawn can safely be left for a few hours.  Be aware that when you begin the exam, the fawn may run away or bleat, bringing the doe to the rescue.  If that happens, back away—you have your answer!  Otherwise, stand the fawn up, feel under the stomach for the umbilical scab (if it’s there the fawn is under a week old), lift the tail and look for diarrhea, check for maggots, scrapes, punctures or other injuries.  Put your little finger in the mouth, toward the back of the tongue.  A healthy fawn’s temperature is about 102 degrees, so the mouth should feel warm to the touch and the saliva should not feel sticky.  Pull up the skin on the back and check for tenting.  There is a small indentation between the corner of the eye and the ear.   When a fawn is healthy and hydrated, this depression is barely visible.  When severely dehydrated and the fat reserve is used up, these depressions can be as much as 1/4inch deep and the eyes will look like they are protruding. 

It takes several days for a fawn to starve to death (depending on its age and size), so if none of these factors are present, it is reasonable to leave the fawn or put it back where it was found.  Keep dogs penned up and people away and check in a few hours.  If it’s morning, wait until after dark; if it’s evening, leave the fawn until morning –WEATHER PERMITTING.  Young fawns cannot tolerate cold, wet conditions. Fawns will usually move no more than 50 feet without the urging of their mothers.  After waiting 10-12 hours, if it’s still near the spot it was found, bring it in.
Putting human scent on the fawn could cause the doe to perceive her baby to be in danger and cause her to move it to the farthest part of her fawning range rather than the average 200 feet, or so, she would move it if there were no perceived danger. 

Following these steps helps fawns from being ‘kidnapped’ and assures only the fawns truly in need of rescuing are brought in.

If you have to rescue a fawn, follow these instructions:

• Place old towels in a cardboard box or dog crate and put the fawn inside.
• Move it to a warm, quiet, dark place to reduce its stress. Place a heating pad, on low, under the back half of the crate.  Keep it away from pets and people.
• Do NOT give the fawn any type of milk or formula mixture.
• Only after the fawn has warmed up, can you attempt to rehydrate it.  Make a
  50/50 mixture of Pedialyte OR Gatorade and warm water and offer it to the fawn in a bottle or a bowl.  If it does not swallow, do not force it, as this could cause it to aspirate.
• Call the Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Hotline at 615-299-9938 or your local wildlife rehabilitator.

Birds

If you have found a baby bird that is not fully feathered and is uninjured, look directly up and see if you can locate the nest. Then, make every effort to place it back in the nest.  The parents will not abandon the baby if you have touched it or the nest.

If the nest cannot be located or if it is too high:

• Try fastening a small basket lined with dried grass in the tree as far up as possible. A coco fiber lining for hanging baskets also works well. Place the nestling in the basket and watch diligently from a distance to see if a parent comes to feed it. Do not put the baby back if it is storming; wait until the weather clears.
• If the parents do not return within 2 hours, or before it gets dark, you will need to bring the baby inside.

If you find a baby bird that is fully feathered but cannot seem to fly, it is a fledgling.  This bird is beginning to fly and the parents will continue to feed it and teach it to forage for food while it is building up its flight muscles. After they are out of the nest, birds learn to fly from the ground up in to low branches. If possible, keep your dogs and cats restrained for the few days it takes for the fledglings to become fully flighted.

If the bird you have found is truly orphaned or is injured, it will need assistance.

• Place the bird in a small box lined with soft rags. Close the lid and keep the bird in a warm, quiet place.
• If you have a heating pad, turn it on low and place the box on top of it.
• DO NOT put the bird in a bird cage. This can cause too much stress and can further injure the bird.
• DO NOT attempt to give the bird any food or water until it has warmed up. A cold animal cannot digest food. Soak some dry cat or dog food in warm water
  until it is mushy. Once the baby bird has warmed up, you may feed it small bites of the mushy food with a syringe or tweezers. If the baby bird has no feathers, it will need to be fed every half hour for a 12-hour day. If it has feathers, then it will only need to be fed hourly for a 12-hour day. The bird should eat several bites, poop, and then settle back down.  If the bird isn’t defecating, it probably isn’t warm enough. It must poop after every feeding.  Be aware that these are emergency feeding instructions and are only good for 24-36 hours. They do not provide adequate nutrition for a baby bird to be raised on and develop properly.
• Call Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Hotline at 615-299-9938 or your local wildlife rehabilitator.

EMERGENCY ANIMAL CARE  |  INJURIES  |  ORPHANS  |  BATS  |  EASTERn BOX TURTLES   

Bats, like many other mammals, can contract and spread rabies through a bite.  Because of this, we are no longer able to rehabilitate them in this state. However, according to studies, less that one half of one percent of bats actually carries rabies and even those rarely become aggressive. To avoid problems, never attempt to handle a bat. Like any animal, it may bite if injured or frightened.

The world’s only mammals adapted to true flight, bats are probably one of the most beneficial and least understood. There are nearly 1000 species of bats and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. Some are smaller that hummingbirds and some, like the giant fruit bats, can have wingspans of up to 6 feet. There are 44 known species in the United States. Nineteen of these occur in the eastern US and 16 species can be found in Tennessee. 

Bats are primarily nocturnal, although they can sometimes be seen flying about in the early evening before sunset. Occasionally, on warm winter days, they will even fly in daylight hours. Bats have perfectly good eyesight (so much for the old expression ‘blind as a bat’) but use their sophisticated system of echolocation to navigate and hunt. So acute is their ability to echolocate that they are able to avoid obstacles no wider than a thread and capture tiny flying insects, in complete darkness. All bats that live in Tennessee feed on night-flying insects and are the only major predator to fill this roll. Each bat will eat more than 50% of its own body weight each night, which could add up to about 3000 mosquitoes!

The presence of bats in an attic or garage does not necessarily constitute a health hazard.  In fact, a bat roost increases property values in China, as they are thought to bring good luck and happiness! If the colony is small, it is usually wisest to leave it undisturbed and enjoy the free reduction in mosquitoes. If you need to evict them, simply wait until any pups are old enough to fly; around September in our area.  Watch for the bats to leave to locate their entryway. Cover the hole with mesh screen that is attached on the top and two sides, leaving the bottom free for the bats to crawl out and fly away. They won’t be able to get back in and will have to look elsewhere for a new roost.

Unfortunately, worldwide populations of bats have been dramatically reduced.  Several species are close to extinction and in the U.S.; five are on the Endangered Species List.  Two of these, the Indiana Bat and the Gray Bat are found in Tennessee.  Humans seem to be the only animal having a significant impact on the bat population.  Adverse affects by humans include destruction of habitat, direct killing, vandalism, use of pesticides (on insects) and other chemical toxins and disturbance of maternity and hibernating colonies.

Bats in this are must either migrate or hibernate in the winter. This is generally November through February, when there are no insects to eat. Upon entering hibernation, they must survive several months on limited stores of fat. Each disturbance and subsequent arousal from torpor costs the bat almost 30 days worth of body fat. Hibernating bats are extremely sensitive as even one disruption could cause them to die of starvation before spring arrives. A single disturbance of a maternity colony during the months of May through August could cause hundreds of flightless baby bats to fall to their death in panic.

So give them their space and they will provide years of free pest control and hours of evening entertainment on the back porch as you watch the dipping, zipping flight of these truly amazing mammals!

To encourage these wonderful little creatures to your backyard for a mosquito feast, try installing a wooden bat house. This will also help insure they will roost in their own home instead of yours. Visit Bat Conservation International at www.BatCon.org  for specific instructions for building and placing a bat house. For more information on bats visit these following websites:

• www.state.tn.us/twra/tnbwg/tnbwg.html
• www.BatConservation.org
• www.SBDN.org
• www.flybynightinc.com

EMERGENCY ANIMAL CARE  |  INJURIES  |  ORPHANS  |  BATS  |  EASTERn BOX TURTLES   

How many of you kept a box turtle as a pet? How many of you have let your children keep a box turtle as a pet? For a reptile, box turtles have a very low ‘yuck’ index.  Most people are charmed by their simple beauty, their quiet ways, and their neat trick of being able to completely pull their heads and legs into their shells. Unfortunately, this appreciation is taking its toll on the Eastern Box Turtle. Not only is it ILLEGAL to take a turtle out of the wild to keep as a pet, we are literally loving them into extinction.

Experts agree that box turtles are in slow, but steady decline. Humans, of course, play a large role in this decline: destruction of habitat by development, roads dividing up habitat, death by construction machinery and motor vehicles, and pet collection all play a huge part in the deaths of thousands of box turtles each year. Until 1994, tens of thousands of box turtles were collected and shipped to Europe for sale in pet shops. 

Another contribution to the decline of the box turtle is its own biology.  A female does not begin laying eggs until she is about 10 years old.  She will lay 2-10 eggs a year, many of which will be eaten by predators. The hatchlings that do make it out of the egg are vulnerable to predators until they are about 3-4 years old and their shells are hard enough to protect them.

Once the turtles reach this age they stand a good chance of living for 25-100 years IF- and it’s a big IF- they can live out their life in an undisturbed habitat. But we’ve already seen that the chances of that happening are pretty slim. Of the several hundred eggs a female box turtle will produce in her lifetime, only 2-3 hatchlings will survive to continue the species. Disturbing statistics, indeed.

Another factor which makes it difficult for box turtles to propagate is their habit of being ‘homebodies’. Box turtles tend to live out their lives within a few acres of where they hatched. This may seem like a positive thing, but when box turtles get displaced form their birth habitat they spend the rest of their lives looking for it instead of looking for a mate. They will neglect to eat and even hibernate in their quest to return home.  Studies have shown that displaced box turtles will not resettle in a new location. No matter how many times they are recovered, the turtles continue to wander away looking for home.

So, how can we help?

• First and foremost, LEAVE THEM ALONE!  Do not remove a box turtle from the wild unless it is sick or injured.
• If you rescue a sick or injured turtle, write down the EXACT location where it was found so it can be returned there when it has recovered.
• When you stop to help a turtle cross the road safely, make sure you move it in the same direction it was going.
• If a box turtle lays eggs on your property protect the nest and hatchlings from predators.
• Support local and national legislation which protects habitat.

The goal at Walden’s
Puddle is to return as many wild animals as possible to nature. No animal is turned away as long as we have adequate funds. We are
not species-specific, instead choosing to assist all wild
animals in need.