Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What wildlife do you admit?

A. BRWC is able to receive all wildlife from Virginia, although we are not permitted to rehabilitate the species listed below. We do recommend you call for advice if you have an issue with any of these species.

Deer. Clarke County (our county) is in a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) containment zone. For this reason, we are not able to rehabilitate fawns. Adult deer are not able to be rehabilitated ANYWHERE in the state of Virginia. Should you have an adult deer that needs care, please call your local county sheriff’s department. For fawns, please consult the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources website for possible permitted rehabilitators who may be able to take a fawn.

The following counties are in Virginia’s CWD containment zone:

  • Clarke

  • Culpeper

  • Fauquier

  • Frederick

  • Loudoun

  • Madison

  • Orange

  • Paige

  • Rappahannock

  • Shenandoah

  • Warren

Bear. While we are not able to take bear for rehabilitation, we can take young bears in emergency situations. Once stabilized and within 24 hours, we will transfer the bear to the Wildlife Center of Virginia - the only wildlife hospital currently permitted to rehabilitate bear.

Non-native species. BRWC will receive any injured or sick wild animal, regardless of its status. BRWC is unable to release back to the wild any species that is considered to be a non-native species, including naturalized species. If one of these species is brought to the Center, it will be either euthanized or placed in an appropriate, captive environment, per the permit conditions for a wildlife rehabilitator or hospital.

Animals found Out-of-State. Per our permit conditions, we are able to take in migratory birds that are found outside of Virginia - given the finder has made a good faith effort to locate an in-state facility. For mammals, reptiles or amphibians, we are not able to admit them for rehabilitation nor release back to the wild. Please call the Center (540-837-9000) for guidance. We certainly do not want to see any animal suffer. If it is injured and unable to be rehabilitated, we will ease its suffering with euthanasia.

Q. I came upon an injured venomous snake. What do I do?

A. Please call the Center (540-837-9000) to discuss your specific situation. Our immediate concern will be for your safety. We do admit venomous snakes for veterinary care and rehabilitation when they are injured.

If the snake is not injured, but you want it removed from in or around your house, there are several options for assistance. There is a Facebook group called Free Snake Relocation Directory that has a network of people who are willing to move the snake outdoors. You can also call a pest removal company to see if they work with venomous snakes. Note that it is illegal in Virginia to relocate an animal off the property on which it was found.

It is illegal to kill any snake in Virginia unless you feel the venomous snake is an imminent threat. There are several snakes that may look like a venomous snake when it really is not venomous. If you have a doubt about what type of snake you are looking at, take a picture and send it to us or the Virginia Herpetological Society for species identification.

Q. What do I do if I find an injured animal?

A. Please call the Center (540-837-9000) to discuss your situation. Leave a voicemail and we will return your call as soon as we are able. You can also review the list of rehabilitators on the DGIF website, or call your local animal control. Contact information can be found HERE.

If no one is able to assist you and your need is immediate, then consider the following points before taking action - the most important aspect is your safety.

What is the situation of the wild animal? Is it located in a safe location that you could potentially provide assistance - e.g. is it in the middle of a busy road? Your primary concern should be your health. Are you willing and able to get the animal in a container, for example, a cardboard box or an animal carrier? If so, do you have the proper personal protective equipment to keep you safe? Every wild animal has mechanisms to defend itself from predators - it will consider you a predator when you approach it. Observe what an animal’s defense mechanisms are and take those into consideration when approaching it. For example:

  • Mammals

    • Mammals can bite. An animal bite can be not only painful but could expose you to rabies. Don’t let their size fool you - a White-footed Mouse’s bite can be just as painful and ‘dirty’ as a fox’s!

    • Mammals can scratch. All mammals have nails - most of them are very sharp. A scratch by a wild animal can expose you to pain and diseases just as a bite can.

    • Direct handling can expose you to a myriad of diseases. Please wear gloves or some other form of protection.

    • Get the mammal to the Center or a rehabilitator AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. The longer you maintain possession of an injured animal, the greater the chance that your local health department will want to test that animal for rabies. Of course, the longer you maintain possession, the more that animal is suffering and its chance of survival decreases as well.

  • Birds

    • All raptors have sharp talons and beaks designed to tear flesh! In some cases, their wings can also be a form of defense. Scavengers, such as the vultures, have strong beaks as well. Professionals who deal with these types of birds wear heavy leather gloves.

    • Some water birds, e.g. Great Blue Heron, have long beaks designed for stabbing - when defending themselves, they will not hesitate stabbing at a predator (you).

    • Even some small songbirds can defend themselves. The strength of the beak of a Northern Cardinal is very impressive - and they will bite you if given the opportunity!

  • Reptiles

    • All snakes can bite! Even a non-venomous snake can cause pain and infection from a snake bite.

    • Turtles bite too! Of course, a bite from an adult Common Snapping Turtle is very dangerous. And turtles have claws as well.

If you choose to approach the animal for containment, make sure you have assessed the animal and its defense mechanisms. Do you have leather gloves for animals that can bite or scratch you? Eye protection? Towels? A container that the animal can’t escape from? Note that most animals will try to escape from their containment. A cardboard box may not be suitable for some animals.

Please be aware of what you are dealing with - and take the appropriate precautions. We do not recommend assisting any wild animal that you cannot safely contain or transport.

Q: What do I do if I have an injured animal safely contained and the Center is closed?

A. If you have an animal contained and we are closed at the time, try and contact the wildlife rehabber closest to you: https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/injured/rehabilitators/ . Until you reach a rehabber, you have the following options:

  1. Keep the animal, in its container, in a warm, dark, quiet location away from humans, especially small children, and domestic pets, until the following morning. Then transport the animal to the Center in the morning.

  2. Take the animal, in its container, to the Center and place it (within its container) within the ‘night drop box’. Please fill out the paperwork with details of the situation and your full contact information. Please pull the blanket down over the door.

Please do not feed or provide water to the injured animal as the animal will likely be too stressed to deal with food. Feeding the animal could cause it to aspirate or choke on that food or water.

Q. I found one or more babies birds. What do I do?

A. If a baby bird is naked, only partially feathered, or is unable to stand/ perch but is otherwise healthy, it can be easily renested in a makeshift nest if the original next is not accessible. We recommend a plastic berry container, or other container with holes in the bottom, lined with natural materials like grass or leaves. Nests should be secured as high as possible in the original tree/building, or in a nearby area off the ground at least 4-5 feet.

Baby birds should be left for at least a full day to assess whether adults are returning—if you see an adult feeding the baby, or if the baby remains alert, warm, and reactive after 24 hours, this is a success! In cases where you do not see any parent, we recommend monitoring the babies for a few days as they will certainly begin to get quiet/lethargic if the parents are not feeding. It is not uncommon for parents to monitor you and avoid feeding if they see you watching. Because of this, many people will not see parents even if they are actively feeding. If the baby starts going downhill during the first 24 hours, it can be assumed that the bird needs help.

When birds reach fledgling age, they will naturally jump out of their nest and be on the ground, unable to fly fully. As long as the bird is mostly feathered and is able to stand and hop, and has no other health issues (including being in a cat’s mouth), fledglings should be left alone on the ground—their parents will continue taking care of them, and this is an important learning stage in their life!