Austin Area Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc.

info@austinareawildliferehab.org

Rescue - Raccoon

Wildlife rehabilitators receive hundreds of baby raccoons each year that have been needlessly separated from their mothers. This often comes about because homeowners exclude or trap mother raccoons from their attics, not realizing that babies are present until they hear they pitiful wailing of the youngsters. At this point, if the mother has been trapped and relocated, you must get the babies to a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. By the time you hear the babies crying, they are in trouble and need immediate attention!

If the mother has not been relocated, but merely excluded from the babies, we can advise you on how to try to reunite the mother and babies.

Do not give the babies any food or drink. Feeding them the wrong thing can make them very sick!

Please remember when handling infant raccoons, you should wear leather gloves and place the babies carefully into a cardboard box or pet carrier lined with t-shirts or other soft bedding (No towels, please. Little toenails get caught in them.) Please keep them in a warm spot or offer supplemental heat (a heating pad on LOW under half of the box so the babies can move off it if they are getting too warm works nicely).

Adult raccoons:
If you see an adult raccoon out during the day having difficulty walking or seeming to have no fear of humans, please email us. If an adult raccoon is up in a tree or even in a basketball net, he was probably chased up there during the night by dogs and will leave when it gets dark and he feels it is safe.
If an adult raccoon is “trapped” in a dumpster or other similar circumstances and cannot crawl out by himself, lower a branch or knotted rope into the dumpster, secure it and the raccoon will crawl out when it feels safe.

Please be careful when handling any wild animal. They are scared of you and see you as a predator and will defend themselves if they feel threatened. Please email info@austinareawildliferehab.org and a rehabilitator will talk you through the problem.

For Membership Information, Click Here.

For Contact Information, Click Here.