Is there a way to adopt a orphaned wild baby animal legally and keep it til' it is all grown up???

Question

My daughter wants to be a conservationist when she grows up.She also wants to take care of an orphaned raccoon or whatever. She is 11 and very responsible.Helpppppppp!!!!

Answer 1

It is actually illegal to take in wildlife unless you are a liscenced wildlife rehabilitator. The requirements for liscencing vary from state to state. These individuals are trained so that they can help these animals medically, and they also learn how to not imprint upon wild animals, so that they can be released into the wild.
The good news is, almost all of these rehabilitation clinics (actually, I believe that all are, by law) are non-profit. They use volunteers to operate, who work under the rehabilitator. There is probably at least one of these near you, so you can contact them about letting your daughter volunteer. They do let kids volunteer, especially those that express an interest in wildlife and conservation.
This is the most responsible way for your daughter to get involved with wildlife. She will be able to work with people who share her interests, and who will help guide her in her learning.
Good luck-it sounds like you've got a great little girl on your hands.

Answer 2

Then what do you do with it after it is all grown up?! See if there is a local animal shelter or exotic pet shop where your daughter would be welcomed for volunteer work. This way she would get exposure to more wild animals rather than just one in your home. She would also get "on the job training" so to speak learning about something she is very interested in. There are other avenues to providing your daughter with wild life care, knowledge which would be safer because she would be handling these wild creatures with experts at her side rather than amateurs. Consider these suggestions carefully before you attempt to take a wild animal into your home without knowing how to properly care for it. Good Luck to you & your daughter.

Answer 3

YOU have to get the license, not her.

If you two have never raised a wild animal like a raccoon, I suggest not taking that responsibility. It's not as easy as raising a dog and requires special treatment.

Have your daughter VOLUNTEER at a local zoo or conservatory. Just taking an animal in isn't going to teach her anything, no matter how responsible she is.

Answer 4

Raccoon's are more likely to carry the rabies virus. I think that a raccoon is a good choice to raise. Opossums babies are easier to raise and there's less of the threat of rabies. But their razor sharp teeth are fast. All wild animals can get rabies, don't get me wrong. Where I live the the incidence of rabies in raccoon's is high. They have to drop rabies bait cubes for all the wild animals to eat to help keep them safer.

You best bet is to contact your local branch of department of wildlife or natural resources. They can direct you on how to go about getting a wildlife license, which is near impossible. In some states you need official training iwith the animals you intend on raising, you will need to learn when and if an animal can be returned to the wild. I was brought a trio of European Starlings to raise about 4 years ago, they were only 5 days old +/- a day. I learned very quickly what to feed them and how often. They are messy little creatures. About 4 months in raising them we suddenly lost one, our meanest. The remaining 2 lived with us for just shy of 2 years before they were both found dead one morning. There was not a mark on them and all the cats I have/had never bothered them. My cats seem to understand that if it's in our house you don't mess with it. That's why I had wild mice in my house over the past years. My vet was my adviser on how to care for the birds and if I ever felt it was too much, I had the number for an aviary an hour away. It's also illegal to set free any animal not native to the United States and/or North American continent. So I kept them. I do small animal rescues for in my county and 3 other ones. I never know when I may end up with a wild rabbit or any other wild small animal.

If this is what your daughter is truely wanting to do with her life, then you will need to guide her with what classes she will need to get her there. Some vocational schools offer these classes in the 11th grade to high school students, check with them when she's in 10th grade. Check into local colleges and see if they offer classes in wildlife conservation to younger students. I remember some of my cousins taking college classes in the summer and they were only in middle school.

Well good luck.

Answer 5

I have a friend who really loves animals and she spent her Saturdays volunteering at a local zoo. She did everything; swept out cages, fed, cleaned, etc. After awhile the management learned they could trust her and that she was dependable so they let her take home baby animals who had to be taken early from their moms. She brought home joeys, fawns, and even a baby tiger! It was fun, but alot of work. Good luck!

Answer 6

in most states it is illegal to take a wild animal out of the wild. i have found that wild animals no matter how young do not make good pets.you can' trust them because they can be nice one minute and the next minute they can turn on you and the older they get the worse it gets I'm sorry if i broke your bubble but that's the way it is.

Answer 7

Go to your local conservation office and ask them about getting a license to care for wild animals

Answer 8

Try volunteering at your local wildlife rehabilitation center. many baby animals will need overnight care and your daughter could help.
Good Luck =)

Answer 9

To rehab any wild animal you need a liscense and it is NOT easy to get one. I agree with the answer you have already. Shaz