Georgia Wildlife Network

06/22/2026

Georgia Wildlife Network's hotline is still down.

In the meantime, please use the free app Animal Help Now to locate a licensed wildlife rehabilitator near you based on species, or contact the DNR Ranger Hotline for assistance.

We are working on an alternative contact method to help prevent future outages. While we don't have a set return date, we anticipate the hotline will be offline for at least several more days as we test and implement a new system.

Thank you for your patience and continued support. We truly appreciate it. 💚

06/20/2026

The Georgia Wildlife hotline is currently down until further notice.

If you need wildlife assistance, please use the free app Animal Help Now or visit AHNow.org to locate a licensed wildlife rehabilitator near you. You may also contact the Georgia DNR Ranger Hotline at 1-800-241-4113.

You can find species-specific guidance on what to do if you find injured or orphaned wildlife on our website at www.GeorgiaWildlifeNetwork.com

We are working as quickly as possible to get our hotline back online, but unfortunately, we do not have an estimated time for service to be restored.

We apologize for the inconvenience and greatly appreciate your patience and understanding while we work to resolve the issue.

Connecting the public to licensed rehabbers & facilities. 📞 Georgia Wildlife Network hotline is OPEN!We are officially accepting calls and it’s baby season. Please be patient with response times.TEXT 678-827-5496 (678-8ASKGWN)Check the “Species Info” section for guidance, or download the fr...

06/19/2026

Stay tuned… we shall return! Please share!

06/18/2026

Sometimes the answer is easy. The animal needs a rehabilitator. The animal needs a veterinarian. The kindest option is humane euthanasia. The baby needs to be left for its parents. The songbird needs to be put back in the nest.

But sometimes... the answer isn't clear.

Yesterday, we received a call about a Great Blue Heron with an injured leg. He seemed to be struggling to get around. A trusted GWN volunteer safely contained him while we consulted with multiple wildlife professionals and veterinarians. There was no visible fracture, he appeared to be in good body condition, and he still had plenty of fight in him. Something was definitely "off," but it could have been a strain rather than a break.

At one point, we were preparing to make the difficult decision to euthanize. Instead, after several conversations, we chose to give him a chance.

Because herons don't do well in captivity, he was driven back to Jasper last night and released back into his home territory. He will be monitored over the next 24–48 hours for improvement or decline.

Wildlife rescue isn't always cut and dry. We don't make these decisions alone, and we never take them lightly. We seek multiple opinions because every wild life matters.

We're hoping this beautiful heron gets the chance to do what nature intended...

Heal. 💙 We're pulling for you, Big Blue.

06/17/2026

We are incredibly honored and grateful to Haggard Hiker Outdoors for choosing Georgia Wildlife Network as the beneficiary of their special sale this weekend!

The support of our community is what makes it possible for us to answer thousands of wildlife calls, coordinate transports across the state, and help connect injured and orphaned wildlife with the licensed rehabilitators who can give them a second chance.

Thank you, Haggard Hiker, for believing in our mission and for giving back to Georgia's wildlife. It truly means more than words can express.

If you're looking for a great excuse to shop this weekend, go show them some love! Every purchase helps make a difference for the wildlife we all care about.

From all of us at Georgia Wildlife Network... thank you! ❤️

Benefit Yard Sale This Weekend !!!
We have decided that the proceeds from this Yard Sale will go to Georgia Wildlife Network!

Any donations for the sale are greatly appreciated & accepted ❤️

06/17/2026

Today we received a call from Waleska about a tiny bobcat kitten that had been found near a trap. It appeared to have an eye infection, and unfortunately, due to several factors, reunification with mom was not an option.

The little bobcat is now safely in the care of a licensed rabies vector species (RVS) wildlife rehabilitator, where he'll receive the specialized care he needs.

Here are a few quick ways to identify a bobcat vs a domestic kitten.

🐾 The short, stubby "bobbed" tail with a black tip
🐾 White patches on the backs of the ears
🐾 Pointed ears with tiny tufts of fur
🐾 Distinct spots & markings, especially visible on the underside when they're young

And perhaps the biggest giveaway? Domestic kittens usually want cuddles. Bobcat kittens absolutely do not. 😼

People are surprised to learn that adult bobcats typically weigh only 15–25 lbs. From a distance, a large house cats are sometimes mistaken for a bobcat. Although they live throughout Georgia, they're fairly elusive. Their diets include bunnies, birds, mice, snakes, frogs, etc. And yes, if your chickens are free range, they may be fair game.

A huge thank you to the person who kept him safe and reached out for help, our GWN transporter who helped get this little one where he needed to go, and the licensed wildlife rehabilitator who will take it from here.

Want to help this tiny bobcat on his road to recovery? Donations to support his care can be made to https://www.luckys-place.org/

Good luck, little guy. We're rooting for you. 🐾❤️

06/16/2026

One interaction can change someone's entire day.

A kind word. A little patience. A moment of understanding.

Or a harsh judgment. A thoughtless comment. A response given in frustration.

The truth is, we don't know what someone else is carrying. The person helping you may be juggling a dozen heartbreaking wildlife emergencies. The volunteer answering your message may be doing so after a full day of work, with hungry kids asking when dinner will be ready. The rehabber taking in the animal you found may have already lost three patients that day to injuries beyond repair.

We all have the opportunity to leave people better than we found them.

One interaction can change someone's entire day for the better or for the worse.

Choose wisely. ❤️ Kindness costs nothing.

06/16/2026

We received a call about a bird nest with four eggs tucked inside the smokestack of a grill that needed to be taken down to Valdosta for a Bible camp next week.

The homeowner wanted to do the right thing and was worried about the birds abandoning the nest. We suggested creating a makeshift nest as close as possible to the original location using something like an old hanging basket with pine straw.

Instead of a quick fix, he built this incredible custom setup right beside the original nest to give mama and her eggs the best chance possible.

Sometimes it's the homeowners and finders who go above and beyond that encourage us to keep going. Thank you for being the gentle nudge our team needed yesterday.

And thank you to all the homeowners and wildlife warriors who choose kindness, even when it takes a little extra effort. 💙🐦

06/15/2026

Georgia Wildlife Network has officially adopted a sea turtle nest on St. George Island! Yes, we know it's not in Georgia, but our hearts have strong ties to SGI and, of course, sea turtles. ❤️

We recently received our adoption packet, complete with a certificate, sticker, photos of the nest, our adoption marker, and its location. We couldn't be more excited!

When the nest hatches, we'll receive the nest inventory results so we can see how our little sea turtles did. 🐢🌊

We'll be sure to share updates along the way!

If you'd like to adopt a nest of your own, check out the link below. 💚 https://www.facebook.com/SGISeaTurtlePatrol

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/adopt-a-sea-turtle-nest-on-st-george-island-support-our-tiny-hatchlings-journey-to-the-sea

06/15/2026

🐢 This weekend, we received a call from Richmond Hill about a turtle that had been injured in a lawnmower accident.

The homeowner found her, carefully taped her shell to help stabilize the injury, and reached out for help. We were able to connect them with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and they made the trip to get her into immediate care.

And how do we know this turtle was a she? She had three eggs on board.

Wildlife rescue isn't always dramatic rescues of bobcats or birds of prey. Sometimes it's a turtle in a backyard. Sometimes it's a woodpecker, an opossum, or a snake. Every animal plays an important role and deserves compassion.

A huge thank you to the homeowner who cared enough to help. And thank you to the wildlife rehabilitators across Georgia who pour their blood, sweat, tears, time, money, and hearts into helping animals that most people will never even know about.

🚨 A quick turtle first-aid reminder:

If you find a turtle with a cracked or injured shell, do not pour water, alcohol, peroxide, or any medications into the wound. You can loosely cover the injury while arranging transport, but please don't treat it like your kid fell off their bike and needs Neosporin.

An injured shell can expose internal organs, and no creature wants peroxide poured into an open body cavity. The best thing you can do is keep the turtle safe, contained, and get it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator quickly, just like this person did.

We're keeping our fingers crossed for this mama turtle and her three little passengers. 💚

GREAT QUESTION highlight: (Q) Is duct tape safe to use on the shell? (A) Medical tape or painter's tape is a much safer option. Never place tape or adhesives directly over an open, bleeding fracture or open tissues. Also, tape should never be used as a long term solution.