Although it may be hard to do, in most cases the answer is … do nothing. Leave the animal where it is, and move away. There are several reasons for doing so. First, adults will often leave their young alone while they hunt for food, or simply stay away so that they do not draw the attention of predators to the location of their young. Second, in most states, it is illegal to possess any wild animal without special permits. These laws are designed to protect animals from being kidnapped from the wild and to protect people from receiving serious bites, injuries, and diseases.
If you have strong reason to believe that the animal has been abandoned, you might return after several hours to see if it is still there. If it is, contact the department of natural resources for your state or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. You can also contact the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association.
Federal and state agencies usually will not provide care for sick and injured animals. Since wild animals can carry diseases that are dangerous to people, direct contact with wildlife is discouraged. In some cases, a veterinarian or wildlife biologist may want to diagnose a particular disease. State universities may have animal diagnostic labs able to perform testing for a fee. They will provide directions on how to prepare and send samples. The following is a link related to sick and injured wildlife:
Centers for Disease Control—Healthy Pets, Healthy People www.cdc.gov/healthypets/index.htm
