5 Common Wildlife Species That Require Emergency Removal

Wild animals can become nuisances when they damage a home, garden, or property. They can also pose a threat to human health or safety.

It is best to leave native animals alone unless they are sick or injured. Baby wildlife should be monitored from a distance and never fed bread or milk, as this will sicken the animal.

Raccoons

Despite being very popular in nature, some people consider raccoons to be pests. They can be found in rural and urban areas, scavenging for food in garbage cans and pet bowls. They also like to dig in garden beds and eat plants and fruit.

According to emergency wildlife removal experts, they are opportunistic eaters and are willing to try anything they can find. They most often eat fruits, nuts, berries, and insects. They may also eat birds, frogs, crayfish, and rodents.

These curious animals can open shells and seeds with their dexterous paws and climb trees backward or face-first. They have a black fur mask around their eyes and a bushy tail, and they can be brilliant. They are a favorite of trappers and hunters for their fur.

Squirrels

Squirrels are some of the most visible wildlife species in urban and suburban settings. Despite popular perception, they are rarely responsible for transmitting diseases to humans.

Members of the family Sciuridae, squirrels are nimble rodents found throughout the world. They are best known for their bushy tails and the ability to quickly climb trees.

They store acorns, seeds, and nuts in dispersed locations for the winter and are responsible for spreading the forest’s seed bank. When they forget to reclaim their food, the abandoned seeds and nuts take root, establishing trees and other plants in new places.

Squirrels are omnivorous and eat anything they can find, including corn at farms and food processing and storage facilities. They are also known for their ability to cause damage to homes and businesses by chewing through walls and attics.

Bats

Bats can be found in every habitat, from deserts to woodlands to city parks. They roost in caves, trees, cracks in buildings and bridges, and even attics. The endangered Indiana bat weighs a penny and has a wingspan of six feet, consuming nearly half its body weight in insects each night.

Like other mammals, bats can sense their surroundings through a unique form of echolocation. They emit inaudible, high-pitched squeaks that bounce off objects such as bushes or branches to locate their prey. The split-second responses that result allow them to dodge obstructions and intercept flying insects.

Some bat species, such as the bumblebee bat, hibernate through the winter in caves. Others, such as the spotted bat, migrate.

Pigeons

Many people are familiar with pigeons, as they’re often seen in cities flying around, scavenging on food dropped by careless city-dwellers. However, few realize that they are also one of nature’s most homing birds, with their ability to return to their home roosts even after being lost at sea or across vast distances.

Homing pigeons are believed to use sound to navigate, listening for the signature sounds of their home roost. Researchers have also found that they may rely on magnetoreception, which involves observing magnetic fields and using them as guides.

Fancy pigeon breeding is an international pastime, with pigeon fanciers competing at local and international shows for ever-increasing prizes. The pigeon is also revered as an animal of God, and you’ll find references to them in ancient scriptures such as the Bible and the Old Testament.

Seagulls

Gulls are part of the family Laridae, which is also home to terns, skimmers, and kittiwakes. They are distantly related to auks and skuas.

They are highly adaptable feeders, opportunistically taking marine and freshwater fish, invertebrates, reptiles, and mammals. They are monogamous and mate for life.

Seagulls are very cosmopolitan and can be found around the world. They typically inhabit coastlines of oceans, bays, and major lakes.

Emergency wildlife removal recommends remembering that seagulls are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and other State laws and regulations. Without the appropriate permits, it is illegal to kill or possess gulls and their parts (feathers, nests, and eggs). Any information about unlawful killing or interfering with gulls should be reported to the Sussex Police Wildlife Crime Team or the RSPCA. General licenses are granted annually by country administrations, and their terms and conditions vary.