“When I returned to the spot the next day, the spot where I had seen the baby owl out in the open and it was still there, I knew the Mom wasn’t taking care of it.” With wisdom honed from 27years of training and experience, Mattapoisett’s Animal Control Officer Kathy Massey knew what had to be done.
“Mom will usually try to hide a baby that has either fallen to the ground from a tree or is resting. Mom knows where her baby is,” Massey stated. In the case of the baby owl she came upon in Fairhaven, however, it was obvious to her that mom wasn’t around to help.
“You have to be licensed by the state to handle or rehabilitate wild animals,” Massey said. She and her fellow animal control officers in the Tri-Town area rely on licensed shelters and wildlife handlers to take over where their work stops. For “Little Baby Owl,” Massey contacted the Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable.
But what do average citizens do when they come across what they believe is a hurt or wounded wild animal?
The Tri-Town officers have two words they hope everyone will heed: “Don’t touch!” These officers who specialize in dealing with animals want people to understand the danger they may be putting themselves or their children in if contact is made and that humans are limited in what help they may render to the animals.
“Sometimes baby birds will fall out of a nest,” says Massey, “but Mom is usually very close by.” She explained that just because a bird is flapping around on the ground doesn’t mean it is hurt and certainly not that its mother isn’t close by. “Mom probably knows exactly where her baby is,” Massey said.
Rochester Animal Control Officer Ann Estabrook and Marion’s ACO and Police Officer Susan Connor echoed those sentiments. Their message is clear: leave wild animals alone.
The three veteran ACOs understand that when people see a baby animal alone, their first reaction will be to try and help. But, they stressed that baby animals are in their natural environment and most likely not alone at all.
The issue of wild animals interfacing with humans in suburban settings gets a bit more complicated when the animal in question is a deer, fox, raccoon, coyote, snake, or bird of prey.
“Animal control officers can’t remove wild animals unless they are a threat to the public,” said Connor. She said the regulations governing wild animals are very specific, including the actions that officers may take when called to assist.
“People call when they see coyotes with mange. They look terrible and are probably starving, but its just mother nature’s way of controlling animal populations,” Connor stated, adding that there isn’t much hunting allowed and certain animal populations have outstripped resources. “It’s never easy to see, but…” she said of witnessing a wild animal that seems to be in distress. “We have to let nature take its course.”
Connor also said that rabies is a problem, especially in fox and coyote populations, while Massey said that raccoons might carry a worm that can be transmitted to humans with tragic consequences.
Regarding wild animals like woodchucks that can be pests to homeowners, Connor said, “Call a PAC.” PACs are “problem animal control agents.” PACs are licensed by the state to handle the removal or dispatch of skunks, raccoons, porcupines, some birds, rabbits, and other wild animal species.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs, PACs have been trained to handle wild animals in a safe and controlled manner and are fully versed on state and federal laws governing the handling and removal of animals. A list of licensed PACs may be found at www.mass.gov/eea.
Estabrook said that when it comes to deer, there are few options should one be injured.
“Deer don’t tolerate being transported when injured. The stress of being transported makes it worse,” Estabrook said. She said there aren’t any rehabilitation facilities for deer and any injuries incurred in an automobile incident “causes massive damage.”
Estabrook also wanted people to understand that birds are equally difficult to assist.
“Say a bird flies into a window and is stunned,” said Estabrook. “There isn’t a vet who is going to perform brain surgery on the bird. It will either make it on its own or it won’t. Either way, people shouldn’t try to intervene.”
It may sound heartless to the average person, but to the officers who deal with wild and domestic animals, as well as humankind, the most humane action a person can take is to call their local animal control officer.
“We know what needs to be done or not done,” said Connor.
If you come upon what you believe is a hurt or abandoned wild animal, contact your local police department and they will dispatch the local animal control officer. For a list of rehabilitation centers, visit www.mass.gove/eea/agenecies. And remember, “Don’t touch.”
By Marilou Newell