Wildlife Line

Wildlife Line Our mission is to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned or injured wildlife and return them to their natur

Please do not bring us animals without speaking to someone first.

06/03/2026

A new rope toy! So much fun! So far everyone is going weight & growing up in rehab.

06/03/2026

Fawn season is here!

People are starting to find tiny fawns tucked away alone in yards, gardens, wood lines, and along roadsides. Before assuming a fawn has been abandoned or orphaned, remember that mother deer often leave their babies hidden while they go off to feed for long periods of time. Staying quiet and still is one of a fawn's best defenses.

When deciding if a fawn may need help, remember the 3 B's:

🦌 BEHAVIOR
A healthy fawn should generally be quiet, calm, and bedded down. If it is running around frantically, crying constantly, following people, or unable to settle, laying on its side, that may indicate a problem.

🦌 BUTT
A dirty bottom, diarrhea, or caked-on f***s is not normal and can be a sign the fawn is sick, dehydrated, or not receiving proper care from mom.

🦌 BUGS
Flies landing on or swarming a fawn are a major red flag. If flies are actively bothering a fawn, it needs help.

One thing we really need to address: curled ears are NOT the only sign a fawn is in trouble. Social media has oversimplified this. Some compromised fawns may have normal ears, while some healthy fawns may temporarily show stress from heat or dehydration.

🚨 MOST IMPORTANTLY 🚨

Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator BEFORE removing a fawn from where it was found. In many cases, the best thing you can do is leave it alone.

If a rehabilitator tells you to "PUT IT BACK," please follow those instructions. Mom is often nearby and still caring for her baby.

Finding a newborn fawn near a road does not automatically mean it has been abandoned. Very young fawns are often unsteady on their feet and don't navigate pavement well. If a fawn is in immediate danger from traffic, it is okay to carefully move it a short distance to nearby cover.

Connecticut has fewer than 5 rehabilitators permitted to care for fawns. Every healthy fawn unnecessarily removed from the wild takes a space that could be needed for a true orphan or injured fawn.

When in doubt, call a rehabilitator.

06/02/2026

🥰 a bunch of happy content & healthy baby c***s. Feeling grateful

06/02/2026

Your chickens are pets to you.

To a fox, raccoon, fisher, coyote, bobcat, hawk, owl, or weasel, they are simply a meal.

Wild animals do not know that you spent hundreds of dollars buying or building a coop. They do not know your chickens have names. They do not know you and your children raised them from chicks. They are trying to survive and feed themselves or their young.

As wildlife rehabilitators, we often receive calls after a predator has gotten into a coop. Unfortunately, by that point, the damage has already been done.

The best way to protect your chickens is to prevent the opportunity in the first place.

A predator-proof enclosure should include:

✔️ 1/4" hardware cloth, not chicken wire. Chicken wire keeps chickens in. It does not keep predators out.
✔️ A hardware cloth apron buried and extending outward at least 2 feet around the entire perimeter to prevent digging predators from gaining access.
✔️ A secure roof made of hardware cloth. Not deer fencing. Not bird netting. Not a tarp. Not "they've never climbed in before." Many predators can climb, squeeze, jump, or simply tear through weaker materials.
✔️ Locking doors and latches. Racc***s are incredibly intelligent and can manipulate simple closures.
✔️ Regular inspections for weak spots, gaps, loose boards, and areas where predators may be testing your defenses.
✔️ If you live in an area with bears, consider installing electric wire around the coop and run. A properly installed hot wire can be an effective deterrent and may prevent a bear from causing significant damage while attempting to access your flock.

Free-ranging chickens will always carry risk. Even if you're outside with them, a predator can take advantage of a brief distraction or an unexpected opportunity.

The goal is not to blame wildlife for doing what wildlife does. The goal is to set everyone up for success by protecting your flock before a conflict occurs.

A well-built coop protects your chickens, protects wildlife from being put into conflict situations, and saves everyone a lot of heartbreak.

Baby Season is in full swing!! Please consider helping us by purchasing an item off our Amazon Wish List or monetary do...
05/29/2026

Baby Season is in full swing!! Please consider helping us by purchasing an item off our Amazon Wish List or monetary donations are also very helpful! We have four very hungry Rac***s and several squirrels. We could not help all of them without your support! It takes a village!

05/26/2026

Interested in seeing wild birds up close AND being a critical part of their care? If so, we'd love to speak with you about volunteering in our wildlife rehabilitation clinic this summer! While we're looking to cover a variety of shifts, we're especially interested in folks who have evenings available from 4-8pm Sunday - Saturday.

If this is calling to you, please contact Senior Coordinator of Conservation and Volunteer Programs, Bethany Sheffer, at [email protected] with interest.

Photo: Mackenzie Hunter/SAC

05/26/2026

So more wild babies are being born this time of year than any other time. Their are not enough rehabers to cover them all. 90% of fawns are not orphaned. I so understand anyone that wants to help a baby to survive.
Me included. Nature has a balance. It doesn't always understand our hearts. I know its difficult to find advice. Please do your best to weigh the pros & cons.as
much as we want to help every orphan, the balance is some are food for others.... that is so sad... but its a balance that has existed for thousands of years.
We are all doing the best we can.
💕

Address

2 Barlow Farm Road
Sherman, CT
06784

Telephone

+18603555797

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