If you come across wildlife that needs help, it can be hard to find the right help. Here's how to find rehabbers near you.

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Who to Contact

Maybe you found an injured eagle or a fawn that clearly is in distress there are rehabbers all over the state to help. Indiana Department of Natural Resources has a very informative list of contact information for wildlife rehabbers all across the state. These rehabbers are permitted wildlife rehabbers per the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. You can click here to see the full list of wildlife rehabbers across the state. Each rehabber has what they specialize in so you can find who to contact.

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Wesselman Woods Does Not Provide Wildlife Rehabilitation

Often times if you find wildlife that has been injured and is in need of help, it can be hard to find out where to go. I've seen so many times on Facebook people say "take them to Wesselman Woods" or "contact Wesselman Woods." While Wesselman Woods is such a great asset to our community, it's important to remember they are NOT wildlife rehabbers.

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Wesselman Woods recently made a Facebook post about this actually, here's what they had to say:

It's that time of year! Spring is in bloom and baby animals are all around us. Find a baby animal that seems out of place? Wesselman Woods does not provide wildlife rehabilitation services, so please do not bring them to the Nature Preserve. We can, however, connect you to local resources (https://bit.ly/3kDFNQj).
Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind:
Often baby animals are needlessly kidnapped. Generally, if the parent has been killed (you observed and can confirm) or if the baby is sick (cold, shivering, vomiting, bleeding, caught by cat/dog), contact a rehabber. In this instance, you can provide a source of warmth like a bottle of warm water in a box with ventilation as long as the animal cannot be squished by the bottle. Do not attempt to feed or pet/cuddle the animal.
Rabbits: if the eyes and ears are open: Leave them be. Bunnies are ready to be own their own from a very young age. If the eyes and ears are closed: Mothers leave their babies alone for much of the day and will return when needed.
Songbirds – It is a myth that parents abandon their babies if they smell human scent on them.
>> For nestlings (birds with only downy feathers), return to nest if possible. If nest has been destroyed or is unreachable, make one up (small basket/plastic tub with poked holes in bottom, line with dry grass or old nest) and secure to nearby bush/tree. Parent(s) will find their babies as long as the area looks safe. People can observe from a distance.
>> For fledglings (some downy feathers and some normal feathers), chances are that they are learning to fly. Mistakes happen and fledglings can end up on the ground. Parents are still caring for the babies and are more likely to help as long as the area looks safe.

Nature Knows Best

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It's really important to remember that most of the time nature knows best. Wildlife does fine without human intervention all the time, so wildlife doesn't always need humans to "help" and sometimes human intervention can do more harm than good. Now there are circumstances where human intervention will actually help, but be cautious before intervening, and make sure it's necessary.

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