To me, one of Augustana’s main draws is how well the campus is integrated with the local ecosystem. Seeing a deer or goose on my way to class always brightens my day, and I know I’m not alone in that. However, humans can disrupt the local wildlife whether intentional or not. Here, I hope to give all my fellow wildlife lovers ways to help their fellow animals.
General Safety
As a general rule, keep a healthy distance between you and the animal unless it’s an emergency. Even if an animal is somewhere it shouldn’t be, you can usually move it by vocalizing or moving closer to it. Campus wildlife are more accustomed to humans than their forest-dwelling counterparts, but they are still very much wild animals. Real life is not a Disney movie, they are not domestic animals and don’t take well to being pet or picked up. Most animals on campus have a strong fight or flight reflex, and getting too close to them can trigger aggression- and bites are no joke. Animals have bacteria in their mouth that can quickly cause a bite to get infected, and a bite can transfer diseases like rabies, hepatitis, E. coli or salmonella. If an animal approaches you or accidentally brushes up against you, it’s not the end of the world, but don’t force these interactions.
This is especially important with birds. During the mating and nesting season (typically in spring and summer respectively, although this varies for individual species), birds’ hormones are high and they’re significantly more prone to aggression. If you see a nest, and nothing seems off, leave it be. Grabbing eggs, nests, or birds can be a felony if something goes wrong, as the Migratory Bird Act protects birds from injury and death at the hands of humans.
Additionally, do not hand feed animals. If they take the food from your hand, you could get sick or make the animal sick. Even if you wear gloves, hand feeding makes animals less afraid of humans, and more likely to get aggressive. I don’t think any of us want a raccoon trying to bite us because you have no more grapes.
If you have a bird feeder or something similar, that’s great! Just remember to clean it regularly, as feces and other grime can build up and contaminate the food.
Do not feed animals processed food, such as chips, bread, sweets, and other “human food”. Dairy and seasoned/salted nuts/vegetables and dried fruit are also a no-no. These foods can cause dehydration, diarrhea, complications from obesity, or intestinal blockages, all of which can be deadly for a wild animal. Instead, unsalted seeds, unseasoned, uncooked vegetables, and light amounts of fruit are much better for them.
If you have an animal on campus, keep it on a leash when you go outside with it! Keep an eye out on them to make sure they don’t disturb wildlife or consume feces.
If you’re no longer able to care for your animal, that’s okay. Things happen. Surrender it to a rescue or rehome it, but please do not release it into the wild. Because the local wildlife are not made to prey on or compete with nonnative species, released animals can quickly outcompete them and become invasive. Don’t contribute to the invasive goldfish problem in the slough.
It’s cliche, but clean up after yourself. Many animals are curious about new objects and will check them out, but that can quickly become dangerous with trash. Can rings or mask-loops can get wrapped around an animal’s neck or limbs, trash can get eaten and cause intestinal blockages, and glass can cut or injure. Make sure your trash is properly disposed of, and take an extra moment to cut loops or netting up.
Be mindful of the plants around campus. Stay on paved paths, especially if you use a bike or scooter. The campus’ pollinator pocket initiative allows for native plants to attract pollinators like insects and hummingbirds, which then support the local ecosystem. However, if the pollinator pockets are being trampled or plucked, they’re unable to help.
Ways to lend a hand
Be kind to bugs. If an individual accidentally makes it into your room, you or a friend (for my folks with bug phobias) can catch and remove it with a cup/bowl and paper towel. They do not mean to cause harm, and most likely accidentally wandered in.
Infestations of bugs like flies and gnats can happen in college dorms. To prevent these, quickly take out the trash after throwing away food, and keep your trash cans clean to discourage the building of nests. When they stay outside, they’re able to aid in natural decomposition cycles and are a great food source for various animals.
While they’re not insects, worms still need help. After it rains, worms often come out to escape the risk of burrow collapse, as well as enjoy the water and fresh air. However, they can get lost and end up on sidewalks, where they risk getting trampled or dehydrating. Simply move them out of the path with the tip of an umbrella, stick, or pencil. More healthy, hydrated worms, also means more food for local wildlife!
It’s currently my favorite time of the year- spring migration season! During the spring, countless birds return from their winter vacation, flying in huge groups at night! However, migration (in both the spring and fall) can be very dangerous for birds. They’re relying on the same instinctual star and moon-based navigation that their ancestors had, long before humans had anything close to electricity or glass windows. But now that we have those, we’ve mucked up their navigation systems.
Lights can screw with a bird’s navigation. They’ll get disoriented and off course from seeing lights at night, get separated from their flock, or collide with a window. To help this, simply turn off your lights at night during the spring and fall, or draw the blinds/curtains.
Birds have trouble seeing glass as a solid structure. Almost everyone has seen a bird fly into a window at some point, but these window collisions are often fatal. In fact, they’re one of the three leading causes of bird fatality, with estimates between 100 million and a billion deaths annually in the United States, with many of these happening during migration season. This is obviously incredibly bad for our bird populations, but fortunately, it is preventable.
Blinds/curtains can help, but a surefire way to prevent it is by putting markings on the window- be it paper shapes, posters, or something else. There are even fun gel shapes available at various stores- you can make it into a fun craft night with you and your roommates!
What to do if you find an injured animal
Unfortunately, nature is a cruel mistress. Injuries happen. If you encounter an injured animal, evaluate the situation. If you must touch the animal to move it out of a path, do not do so barehanded. Put on some gloves, or at least put something between your skin and the animal.
This is to protect both yourself and the animal from disease transfer. Be incredibly careful when you pick it up, as it may startle and try to fly, squirm, or bite, which could injure you or itself further. Grab the animal slowly from the back as to not startle it, and to minimize risk of injury.
Place the animal into a box with a clean towel so it can regulate its temperature, be safe from infection, and you can monitor it and safely bring it to a rehabber.
It’s incredibly important to not feed the animal or offer it water. It’s not uncommon for injured animals to go into shock, and offering them something to eat/drink can risk choking.
Once the animal is in a safe location, call a local wildlife rehabber. Here’s a list of Illinois wildlife rehabbers by county.
If it’s a larger animal like a bird larger than a pigeon or a medium/larger adult mammal (anything larger than a mouse or hedgehog), do not try to move it or approach. Instead, direct people to give it space, as injured animals can become aggressive. Call animal control and do not try to intervene.
However, if you encounter a sick animal, do not, even with gloves, touch it. If it’s coughing, has pus on its eyes, twitching, seizing or vomiting, there unfortunately isn’t much you can do. With the rise of avian influenza (which despite the name, can infect animals other than birds), your first priority should be avoiding infection for yourself. Call animal control, as they will know how to safely care for the animal without anyone getting sick.
What to do if you find a baby animal without its mother
If you find a baby animal without its mother, stay calm. If it’s injured, follow the above protocol. If it’s a mammal that’s old enough to be able to walk, multiple newborns in a hidden area, or a fledgling bird (a baby bird with fully formed feathers and mostly developed wings), its mother has most likely left it there on purpose and will return. If it’s an amphibian or reptile, they are typically not dependent on their mothers and may even be born without them present. If it’s an unfledged bird or newborn in the open, look for a nearby nest. Despite common wives tales, you can place a baby bird back in the nest. Just don’t hold it with your bare hands, as baby animals don’t have great immune systems.
If you cannot find a nest, or see a deceased female nearby (For mammals, you can tell if its a mother by protruding nipples from nursing. For birds, mothers/breeding females are identified by a brood patch- a thin patch of feathers covering a bald spot used to warm eggs), place the baby/s into a box with a clean towel and call a wildlife rehabber. Again, do not feed or water them, as baby animals are incredibly fragile with their windpipes very close to their digestive system. Feeding from an untrained person can cause a baby animal to aspirate. Do not try to feed baby formula or milk, as most animals cannot properly digest the milk of other species and need a very specific type of formula. Do not offer water unless advised to by the rehabber you call, as some baby animals do not know how to drink properly and could choke, drown, or give themselves hypothermia.
I hope these help you to enjoy the local wildlife, and allow situations to be less stressful for both you and the animals involved.
Thank you to Dr. Tierney Brosius and Dr. Stephen Hager for their input on this article!