Frequently Asked Questions

We do not want to kidnap any healthy babies. All wildlife is best raised by their parents in the wild. Sometimes, mom has left the baby for a short while to gather food. Rabbit moms only tend to the young at dawn/dusk and deer leave their babies in a safe area while they forage. Venturing off alone can also be a natural part of life like with young birds fledging the nest. It is normal for fledglings (fully feathered but can't fly yet) to leave the nest and be alone, even on the ground. Parents come and feed and you will likely see/hear them.

If you find a baby animal, the best first step is to use the information below to help you determine if the baby needs help.

If any of the following apply, the baby automatically needs our help:

• You know the mother is dead

• The baby is cold

• The baby is covered in insects

• The baby has injuries

• The baby has been in the mouth of another animal

• The baby animal is an opossum

• The baby animal is a duckling or gosling

• The baby animal is a bat. Never handle a bat bare-handed. Here's how to safely capture and contain a bat.

Please take a photo of the animal and call (preferred) or text us at (317) 245-8893 right away if after reading this list you believe the animal may be orphaned or in need of help. Never feed orphaned wildlife or attempt to raise them yourselves. Please consider making a donation to help us provide for their care. Animal Help Now and NWRA has even more information about orphaned wildlife on their website you can read including things that a rehabber can guide you through like reuniting families.

People often ask what to do if they find an injured animal— here’s what you should do right away! We can help animals that are capturable. Some injuries may be treatable by the rehabilitators and others may require a trip to our wildlife hospital.

Please safely contain the animal if appropriate. Some wildlife can be dangerous to you due to injuries or disease, and our handling of wildlife causes them stress. It may be best to monitor from a distance and wait for help. Do NOT feed the animal. Please take a photo of the animal and call (preferred) or text us at (317) 245-8893 right away for guidance.

If you find a bat in your house, attic, or yard in Indiana, follow these steps. Never handle a bat bare-handed. Here are directions for determining if the bat needs help as well as what you should do if you need to contain the bat.

If it is a baby bat not with its mother it automatically needs our help. Some can be reunited with mom if they have fallen from a roost if baby is in good condition as determined by our bat specialists. Please be sure your bat boxes have pup catchers!

Most bats found in winter (grounded outdoors/inside buildings, etc.) will need help in our climate. Please call us.

If you are worried it may be in need of help, please take a photo of the bat and and call (preferred) or text us at (317) 245-8893.

Cats and dogs catching wild animals is one of the most common reasons people contact a rehabber in Indiana. Wildlife that has been in another animal’s mouth automatically needs our help. Please take a photo of the animal and call (preferred) or text us at (317) 245-8893. for assistance.

If you need a licensed wildlife rehabber near you in Indiana, here’s how to find one: The Indiana Department of Natural Resources keeps a public list of wildlife rehabbers by county here. If you are outside of the state of Indiana, please go to Animal Help Now for guidance.

Many people search what to do if they find wildlife at night in Indiana — here’s how to keep the animal safe until morning.

Safely capture the animal. Please keep the animal in a secure container (with air holes!) in a dark, quiet room or garage.

If the animal can wait overnight: You can provide a towel/old-tshirt/blanket and a shallow dish of water (if the animal is old enough to have its eyes open). Never force the animal to drink. Do NOT provide food. A heating pad, hot water bottle, or a heated sock full of rice can be left on one side of the container to help keep them warm. Please contact us first thing in the morning. If you are unable to reach us in a timely fashion, you should call other permitted rehabbers (but please let us know not to expect the animal). We will return your call/text as soon as possible.

If it is an emergency and the animal cannot wait for humane treatment, we suggest you contact the 24 hour Veterinary Emergency Group in Nora.

We only take in orphaned and injured wildlife and lack the required permits to do this work. If you have wildlife in your attic, barn, or basement, the safe way to handle it is with humane removal and exclusion outside of the baby season. For many species, loud music, bright lights, and unpleasant but non-toxic smells (like apple cider vinegar!) can encourage them to move out by themselves. Bats can be evicted using a humane excluder outside of baby season and will likely require professional help unless you are handy and unafraid of heights!

Once the animals are out of your property, holes or gaps will need to be repaired. If you are having a nuisance wildlife problem/wildlife conflict and need help, you can contact a wildlife removal specialist/company. Please ask questions to make sure they are following humane practices. These can be found on Animal Help Now, through a google search, or on the DNR webpage.

Seeing raccoons, skunks, or opossums in daytime is common. Wildlife is just that, wild life. Although these animals are typically active at night, they aren’t always predictable and it is not unusual to see them in the daytime. Unless they appear injured or sick, they do not need our help.

Many people ask if wild animal moms abandon babies if touched by humans — the answer is usually no. in fact if you call us about baby rabbits, we will most likely ask you to place them back in the den (unless they are cold/injured/covered in bugs/have been in an animal's mouth or the mother is dead). This seems to be an old wife's tale that started to keep people from messing with wildlife.

We will just tell you: Please do not disturb wildlife. Always think about whether you are helping them or harming them-even something as seemingly harmless as peeking in on a nest of birds causes stress, and stress kills wildlife. When rescuing wildlife, please do not handle wildlife with bare hands and always use caution (you can become injured or ill). Keep contact to the minimum needed to save them. Do not pet or baby the animals as this is actually very scary for them and you may end up hurting (or killing) what you were trying to save.

If you are on the search for wildlife pickup services— here’s what we can and cannot do. We do not have enough time in the day to care for all of our animals, work our jobs, and make pickups. If you cannot bring us the animal, we can reach out to our volunteer transporters. They kindly volunteer their time and gas to assist us. If you ask us to pick up the animal, please consider making a donation.

Rehabbers in Indiana get this question often. We greatly appreciate your assistance. At this time, we do not have enough volunteers for regular updates. We try to post updates regularly on our facebook page. We understand you want to know how they are doing, and ask that you limit calls about updates to just one so that we have more time to care for the animals.

Visitors often search if they can see wildlife in rehab. Per Indiana DNR regulations, only people on our rehabilitation permits can be around the animals. We need to have the wildlife remain wild and we do not want to get them used to humans. We limit our interactions as much as possible for the good of the animals. Human interactions stress wildlife and can be deadly. We share photos, videos, and stories of our animals on facebook.

Our organization focuses on helping native wildlife. People donate to us to provide care for wildlife, not pets. We do not have the resources to care for domestic species. Unfortunately, we cannot help you find a home for your dog or take in an unwanted hamster. Please reach out to an organization near you that helps with pets.

If your wildlife question isn’t here, contact us directly — many people search for rehabbers in Indiana with unique situations. We welcome any questions or concerns you may have. The goal of this list is just to help people with our most frequently asked questions. Please give us a call (preferred) or text at (317) 245-8893. Animal Help Now also has a long list of FAQs that may answer your question.

• People often search how to donate to a wildlife hospital or volunteer with a rehab center in Indiana. We are always looking for new volunteers. Volunteers help with things like transportation, event presence, fundraising, cleaning, handy-person tasks, animal caretaking, and more! If you are interested in volunteering, please complete this volunteer form.

• We are also looking for more animal release sites. If you own property with acreage and natural wildlife habitat, would you consider letting us release healthy animals on your property? If you are interested in volunteering your property, please complete thevolunteer form.

• You can also help by making a donation, sharing our Facebook posts, spreading wildlife awareness, giving our contact information to those who need help with orphaned/injured wildlife, buying some of our branded merchandise, contacting us to set up a supply donation, or visiting us in person at craft shows to buy some of our wildlife art.