Wildlife911 Virginia · Species
Bat
Rabies-vector species. Any bat in living space requires animal control and rabies-exposure evaluation.
Immediate triage — what to look for
Signs that mean: refer immediately
- thin/dehydrated/wandering pup
- grounded adult with visible injury
- caught by cat/dog (must be evaluated even if no visible injury)
Key points
- Pups can fall from colonies; some cannot re-enter.
- Rabies exposure risk — avoid direct contact; wear gloves if containment unavoidable.
- Do not handle if COVID-positive/exposed.
Detailed reference
The clinical and behavioral reference below is the full Wildlife911 Virginia guidance for this species. It is written for finders, volunteers, and educators who want to understand the reasoning behind the triage decisions above.
Overview
Bat Rescue Guide (Public-Facing Narrative)
Natural behavior: Pups sometimes fall during overheating or predator disruptions. In natural roosts, they climb back; in bat boxes or buildings, they often cannot. A pool skimmer can be used to return pups. If pups keep falling, “pup catchers” may be required.
When orphaned: Thin, dehydrated, or wandering pups likely have no mother and need rehab.
Adults: Grounded bats are not always rabid — they may be injured (car strikes, wing tears, storms, predator drops, building entrapment). If rabies exposure is ruled out, they can go to rehab.
Emergency triggers
Bat found on ground during daylight
Obvious injury, torn/broken wing
Contact with humans/pets
Pup cold, weak, unresponsive, or wandering alone
If safe
Always wear thick gloves.
Move with a cloth or spoon into a ventilated box.
Add a towel or non-contact heat source if pup.
Photograph animal and site before moving.
Keep box in quiet, secure room until transport.
Critical warnings
Do not handle barehanded. Rabies exposure requires immediate reporting.
Do not feed or give water.
If you have COVID-19 or exposure risk, do not handle bats.
Overview
High-Risk Rabies Vector Species Rescue Guide
(Raccoon, Fox, Skunk, Bat)
Safety First
These species carry the highest risk of rabies in Virginia. Even newborn babies can transmit rabies through bites, scratches, or saliva. Never handle them with bare hands.
Do not feed or give water – improper feeding can harm them, and handling can expose you to rabies.
Keep children and pets away until help arrives.
If safe, place a box, laundry basket, or crate over the animal to keep it contained until you receive instructions from a wildlife rehabilitator or animal control officer.
Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or local animal control immediately.
Raccoons
Breeding: January–March, litters born April–May (3–5 kits).
Behavior: Mothers often move babies between dens at 5–8 weeks old.
Red Flags (injury/orphan): Covered in fly eggs, visible wounds, crying for hours, lethargy, cold/wet, taken by dog/cat, mother confirmed dead.
Reunite Attempt
If >10 inches and mobile → place a laundry basket over it overnight. The mother may tip it to retrieve the kit.
If smaller/less mobile → place in a warm box or bucket near where found, with a wrapped heat source. Leave overnight.
If not retrieved by morning → contact rehab.
Foxes (Red & Gray)
Breeding: December–April, 2–7 pups per litter.
Behavior: Kits emerge at ~4 weeks, weaned by 2 months, skittish by 3 months.
Red Flags (injury/orphan): Covered in fly eggs, vocalizing and approaching people, obvious injury, lethargy, taken by dog/cat, parent confirmed dead, very young kit outside den for >2 hrs.
Action
If alert, healthy, wary of people → monitor from a distance.
If parent suspected dead → consider using a trail camera to check for other adults feeding kits.
Special Restriction: In Northern VA counties (Clarke, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Warren, Prince William) foxes must be rehabilitated in the same county due to parasite regulations (Echinococcus multilocularis).
Skunks
Behavior: Often den under porches, sheds, or brush piles.
Risk: Always considered rabies vector species.
Action: Do not handle. If young or injured skunks are seen without a mother, safely contain them (cover with a box/crate) and call a rehabilitator or animal control.
Bats
Risk: All bat species in Virginia are rabies vectors.
Special Precaution: If a bat is found in a room with a sleeping person, child, or pet, contact your local health department immediately — exposure is possible even without a visible bite.
Action: Contain safely in a room or with a box until a rehabilitator or health official arrives. Never touch with bare hands.
Key Takeaways
Do not touch rabies vector species — even babies.
Contain safely if possible (box, crate, closed room).
Contact licensed rehab or animal control immediately.
Do not feed or water under any circumstances.
Ask Wildlife911
A conversational AI assistant trained on the Wildlife911 Virginia knowledge base, live wildlife rehabilitation literature, and the national rehab-center directory. Describe what you've found in plain language — Wildlife911 will guide you through triage and connect you to a licensed rehabilitator near you.
Live AI assistant coming soon (Phase 7g of the WildlifeStats build). In the meantime, use the species pages below or the dispatcher — both deliver the same triage decision tree Wildlife911 will use.
Who to call
Virginia DWR licensed rehabilitators
The official Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources directory of permitted wildlife rehabilitators.
Animal Help Now (nationwide)
ZIP-code-based directory of wildlife rehabilitators and animal control nationwide.
Local animal control
For rabies-vector species (fox, skunk, raccoon, bat, groundhog), and for any animal in your home, contact local animal control first.
Call two or three rehabilitators — availability varies. If you reach voicemail, leave a detailed message with your name and callback number, exact location, species (or description), the animal's condition, and what containment steps you have taken.