{"id":2553,"date":"2025-03-21T18:19:44","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T18:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/lord-fairfax\/?page_id=2553"},"modified":"2026-04-17T15:59:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:59:38","slug":"wild-animals-and-bird-flu","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/lord-fairfax\/bird-flu-2\/wild-animals-and-bird-flu\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Animals and Bird Flu"},"content":{"rendered":"

More often than not, handling injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife can do more harm than good. Although our intentions are well-meaning, human interaction with wildlife should always be kept to a minimum. The public is advised not to handle sick or injured wild birds.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you have found a wild bird in need of assistance, take the following steps:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Observe the situation from a distance. Are there any obvious injuries, bleeding or signs of illness\/abnormal behavior?<\/li>\n
  2. Note the location (exact street address with location landmarks, if possible).<\/li>\n
  3. Call a professional. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>or your local animal control.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A professional will provide instructions based on the situation. General recommendations for responding to sick or injured wild birds and other animals are below:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Regardless of species, do not touch the animal directly.\n
        \n
      • If you must handle a wild bird, wear gloves and other personal protective equipment, such as a mask and eye protection. After handling, wash hands and clothing and disinfect shoes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Do not offer food, water, or medical care of any kind to the animal. Not only is it illegal, it is dangerous for you and the animal.<\/li>\n
      • Keep the animal in a dark and quiet location away from people and domestic animals until transport arrives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

         <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        More often than not, handling injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife can do more harm than good. Although our intentions are well-meaning, human interaction with wildlife should always be kept to a minimum. The public is advised not to handle sick or injured wild birds.\u00a0 If you have found a wild bird in need of assistance, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":394,"featured_media":0,"parent":2463,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2553","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nWild Animals and Bird Flu - Lord Fairfax Health District<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/lord-fairfax\/bird-flu-2\/wild-animals-and-bird-flu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wild Animals and Bird Flu - Lord Fairfax Health District\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"More often than not, handling injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife can do more harm than good. 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