Use caution with displaced wildlife after a hurricane

With normal food supplies interrupted and shelters flooded or destroyed by hurricane rains and winds, rats, snakes and other wildlife seek out safe haven - often in the homes of unsuspecting humans.

Snakes will escape rising waters by finding a dry spot in homes, sheds, barns and other buildings, state wildlife officials said. Older buildings provide snakes with more cracks and crevices to hide inside.

Removing debris as soon as possible after a storm may reduce hiding spots for snakes. Wildlife officials recommend trying to remove snakes with a shovel or broom and staying out of the animal's strike zone, which is estimated as half the length of the snake. Poisonous snakes might have to be killed.

Hurricanes also bring out swarms of insects. Mosquitoes can multiply in the standing water left after a major storm, wildlife officials said. Insect repellant should be used while cleaning up after a storm.

Small mammals that seek shelter in homes, while not poisonous, could carry dangerous diseases. Rats, bats, foxes, raccoons and skunks should be forced from buildings with no attempt made to help the animal. These animals cannot be rehabilitated due to the possibility of rabies and should be left to survive on their own. Even orphaned suckling animals of these species have been known to transmit rabies, according to wildlife officials.

Some nondangerous young animals, especially birds, can be separated from their mother during a storm. However many adults animals do not stay with their young and return only to feed them.

State wildlife officials recommend determining if an animal is actually orphaned before picking it up or removing it to another location. If a young bird has fallen from a nest, it can be gently replaced.

If after observing the animal for six hours and determining the animal is actually orphaned, notify a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Licensed wildlife rehabilitators provide care for animals until they can be released back into its natural environment.

To locate a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your county go to www.ncwildlife.org or call the Nongame Wildlife Office at 919-707-0060 or Wildlife Enforcement Communications 919-707-0040.

In the case of orphaned deer or black bear, call the Wildlife Enforcement Division at 1-800-662-7137. If the orphaned animal can be identified as an endangered or threatened species, contact the Wildlife Enforcement Division or the US Fish and Wildlife Service at 919-856-4786.