You might come across an injured animal in the wild, so what do you do?
CROW, a local rehabilitation center for wildlife, says unless you know what you're looking for, handling wild animals on your own can harm both the animal and yourself.
Shelli Albright is the Wildlife Intake Specialist there and she says when in doubt, ask questions.
CROW has 9 drop off locations for animals in Lee County and a 24-hour clinic on 75 and Daniels Parkway.
FWC also have patrols in the area and can pick up any animal that needs help. It's better to call or send in a picture and describe the animal's condition than to relocate them yourself.
Brian Norris from FWC says, "Sometimes by picking it up or removing it you can actually harm the animal more."
Also, if you try to nurse it back to health on your own, there are legalities.
"The state of Florida says it is illegal to keep a native wildlife species for more than 24 hours," said Shelli.
FWC says unless you have a permit, it is illegal to posses sick, injured, orphaned or otherwise impaired wildlife.
For more questions and information, visit these websites: http://www.crowclinic.org/
