Practical first aid information

Birds

If an adult bird can not fly and avoid us, then almost certainly needs help.

Quickly find a cardboard box, spread newspapers or paper towels at the bottom and open small holes on the sides. The size of the box must be such that the bird can stand upright, but can not make unnecessary moves.

If you can not find a suitable box, you can gently wrap the bird in a towel or shirt or put it in a backpack, after you create the necessary space.

Grasp the bird with a cloth (avoiding beak and claws if it is a predator, nose if heron or gull). Put it in the box after carefully giving some water in natural temperature. Leave the box in the quietest place of the house, warm during winter and cool during summer.

Contact us immediately to give you further instructions on how to proceed. Any further handling of the bird could be fatal.

Chicks

In spring and early summer it is very likely to find chicks that look abandoned and seem to need help. Beware, though!

Not all young birds need our help! Often parents are somewhere around and the best thing to do is to put the baby somewhere up and leave it alone.

At ANIMA website you can find detailed instructions for each type of chick, what food should they eat and how to take care of them till you contact a first aid center.

Do not forget: the goal is always to return the wild animal in its natural environment. If you keep it as a pet more than necessary, the re-joining will become impossible and in most cases is going to have a bad ending.

Turtles

Turtles are often found hit by cars or agricultural machinery, with a broken shell. Carefully transfer the animal, not worsening the break, and place it in a cardboard box with many newspapers at the bottom. If the wound is dirty with soil or grass, you can rinse it with plain warm water. Then cover it with gauze or cloth to avoid contamination by flies and other.

Mammals

Ferrets bite badly. Avoid at all costs their teeth. Hedgehogs are less dangerous. Put over the animal a cloth, jacket or blanket. If it is very active, the carton is not suitable. Find a transport cage for a cat or dog or two plastic of grocer’s crates and place them one over the other. For more information, call us.

First Aid Station, Korthi: 22820-62319

ANIMA, Athens – 24 hours telephones : 2109510075, 6972664675