What to Do if You Encounter Wildlife
Injured Wildlife Found Following a Storm or Disaster
Anyone who encounters injured wildlife can bring it in to the LSU Vet Med Veterinary Teaching Hospital if they are able. Alternatively, Animal Control may be able to help. Personnel from Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries are focused on search and rescue efforts following natural disasters; therefore, their resources are very limited at those times.
In most instances wild animals are equipped to survive natural disasters and people should not attempt rescue of any wildlife in flooded areas. In many instances during a flooding event, what may appear to be an injured animals simply an animal that is resting or seeking cover until conditions are favorable. Chasing an apparently injured wild animal can actually be worse, as it can lead them to become exhausted and drown. People with questions can contact the LSU Vet Med’s Wildlife Hospital at 225-578-9600.
Abandoned or Injured Deer
If you see a fawn on its own, it may not necessarily be abandoned. When the water rises, a doe will take her fawn to higher ground and then leave it to get food for herself; she will return to the fawn if she is able. If you encounter a deer that you think needs to be rescued, please do not do it yourself. To limit the spread of infectious diseases, such as Chronic Wasting Disease, and because we do not have a permit to rehabilitate deer, we cannot accept them at the LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. If you believe that a deer needs to be rescued, please leave it where it is and call Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries at 800-442-2511.
Encountering Potentially Dangerous Wildlife
If you encounter potentially dangerous wildlife, such as alligators or venomous snakes, the best advice is to leave the premises, and the animal will usually leave shortly. You should not attempt to remove the animals yourself. If you are not sure whether a snake is venomous, treat it as if it is. For a wildlife emergency, people can call Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries at 800-442-2511.