1. Prevent your pet cats and dogs from attacking and/or
"playing with" wildlife. Don't allow them to run without supervision and
raise your cats as indoor pets. Many injured animals are brought to the
clinic each year with terrible wounds from dog and cat attacks.
2. Alert birds to large expanses of glass in your home,
such as patio doors or picture windows, by hanging streamers, putting
bird silhouettes on the glass surface, or allow the glass to be a little
bit dirty. Reducing the reflection should cut down on the number of
birds who collide, often fatally, with windows and doors.
3. Educate children to respect and care for all wild
creatures and their habitats. Children need to learn that wild animals
are not playthings and should be allowed to go about their lives
unmolested. Children should also be told not to destroy nests, burrows
and other wildlife homes.
4. Pick up litter and refuse that could harm wildlife,
including six-pack connectors (after cutting each circle to reduce the
risk of entanglement), monofilament fishing line, and watch batteries
(if consumed by waterfowl they can cause mercury poisoning).
5. Be alert when driving, especially near wildlife
refuges and in rural areas, to avoid hitting or running over wild
creatures. Animals do not recognize the danger from an oncoming vehicle.
And please stop and move any turtles away from the roadway or shoulder
of the road.
6. As a general rule, leave infant wildlife alone, since
they are not always truly orphaned. A parent may be nearby or will
return soon. Be sure they are in need of help before you remove them
from the nest area. If you find young birds on the ground, attempt to
return them to the nest.
7. Place caps over all chimneys and vents on your roof
to prevent birds, ducks and raccoons from taking up residence and
becoming a nuisance or getting trapped.
8. Do not leave fishing line or fish hooks unattended or
lying about outdoors. Try to retrieve any kite string left on the ground
or entangled in trees.
9. Before mowing your lawn or rototilling your garden,
walk through the area first to make sure no rabbits or ground-nesting
birds are in harms way. Remember, it only takes a couple weeks for these
babies to grow and leave the nest. Be tolerant and give them the time
they need.
10. Check trees to make sure there are no active nests
or residents of cavities before cutting them down. Even better, avoid
cutting down dead trees if they pose no safety hazard, since they
provide homes for a wide variety of wildlife.
11. Use non-toxic products on your lawn and garden.
12. Motor oil should not be left in oil pans unattended.
Birds often fall into these pans and few survive.
13. Do not attempt to raise or keep wildlife yourself.
Not only is it illegal, but wild creatures do not make good pets and
captivity poses a constant stress to them. Young wild animals raised
without contact with their own species fail to develop survival skills
and fear of humans, virtually eliminating their chances of survival in
the wild.
from Wildlife Haven - Center for Rehabilitation &
Education
Wildlife Haven
http://members.tripod.com/%7Ewildlifehaven/index.htm
e-mail - [email protected]
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