THE FOLLOWING ARE COMMON WILDLIFE SITUATIONS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS:
ANY TYPE OF ANIMAL BITE
Contact Animal Control right away. If a person is bit by an
animal, that animal must be quarantined (dogs and cats)
and/or tested for rabies (usually wildlife). If a pet has bitten
or had any contact with wildlife, your pet must be
quarantined (this may be done at home). If the wildlife animal
is available, it will be tested for rabies. Regardless of the
situation, Animal Control should be contacted. Further
instructions will then be given.
SKUNK or OPPOSSUM LIVING UNDER PORCH
Sorry, Animal Control cannot do anything but simply make
suggestions. Where a skunk or oppossum is known to be
denning under a porch or patio, it may be evicted by
installing a one-way door over the entrance to allow it to
leave but prevent reentry. A simpler eviction is to wait until
the animal has begun its nightly foray (two hours after dark is
generally a safe time) and loosely closing the opening with
netting, straw or other fibrous material that an animal trapped
inside can push away, but which one outside will be less
likely to disturb to get inside. A good way to know if the
animal is away is to sprinkle flour around the entrance/exit so
that you may see footprints.
Do not use the one-way door in May or June (for skunks)
when there may be babies left inside the den. The babies will
starve and possibly discharge their spray before subcumbing
to this unpleasant fate. Instead, either wait for the skunk
family to move or use harassment to try to accelerate that
process. Oppossums are marsupials (carry young in pouch)
and therefore you need not worry about young being left
inside the den. Mild harrassment can be very effective. This
can consist of repacking the hole it is using with the leaves
and straw or other material to see if the skunk gets the
message and moves somewhere else, or using
ammonia-soaked rags placed near or inside the burrow to
one side so that the skunk has to pass them in getting out.
Make sure the skunk is not close by when doing this. The
mother skunk will carry the babies to a new den. Do not
permanently seal the opening until the plug remains
undisturbed for several nights.
SKUNK IN WINDOW WELL
If a skunk becomes trapped in a window well (the basement
window area), the best method of freeing it is to provide it
with a means of escape. Place a rough board in the window
well that is long enough to act as a ramp to the top. The
board should be no steeper than a 45 degree angle. The
board should be slowly and carefully placed by approcahing
the well low enough so the skunk does not see you. A
second person in a high enough point to see the skunk is
helpful to guide you. This second person should look to see
if the skunk looks agitated and starts to raise its tail. If this
happens, the person should retreat and reanalysis of the
situation is recommended. Another method of placing the
board is to tie it to end of a long pole and lowering it by
holding the opposite end of the pole. Once the board is
placed, keep people and pets away from the area until
nightfall, when the skunk should leave on its own. To prevent
this situation from reoccurring, place exit ramps or
tight-fitting covers at each window well.
UNKNOWN/KNOWN ANIMAL IN HOUSE
Wildlife occasionally make there way into homes. Animal Control Officers are not trappers and will not assist with constant problems such as squirrels living in your ceilings. A private trapper may be located in
the yellow pages.
BAT IN HOUSE/APARTMENT
Especially during the summer months, bats tend to
mysteriously appear in people's homes. Animal Control
Officers will be dispatched only if there has been human or
pet exposure and you know where the bat is located.
Otherwise, it is the responsibility of the home or property
owner to hire a pest control company.
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS OUT DURING THE DAY
Sometimes animals are disturbed from their dens during the
day and are forced to move about. If the animal is fat and
healthy looking, it is probably just looking for a place to rest
and will soon leave the area. If the animal is very thin, acting
strange and in the same area for a long period of time,
contact Animal Control.
BIRD/SQUIRREL IN FIREPLACE
For this reason, we recommend that you cap your chimneys.
Raccoons also like to use uncapped chimneys for denning
and to give birth and raise young. If you can see the animal in
the chimney, open the door to the chimney as well as all your
windows and doors leading to the outside. Squirrels may be
enticed with bread and peanut butter. Wait a while and leave
the area quiet for a while.
DEAD ANIMAL ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
You may remove the animal yourself and discard it in the
trash. Make sure to wear gloves and do not have contact
with the animal.
RACCOON ON PORCH
Make sure that your porch is free of garbage and recycling.
If you must store garbage on your porch, make sure it is
properly contained. The raccoon will probably leave that
night to hunt for food. It will climb down the same way it
climbed up. If you need access to this porch, the raccoon
can simply be frightened away. Be cautious when scaring the
raccoon away because they may get aggressive in their
defense (can you blame them?).
OPPOSSUM STUCK ON FENCE
Ever heard of the expression "Playing Oppossum"? Well,
that's what they do. We receive many calls about
oppossums stuck on top of fences when they are simply
standing on them and playing oppossum (playing dead or
freezing). Oppossums are very docile and do not cause a
threat. If you see this, just leave it alone and it will leave
when it feels safe to move about area.