Wildlife Rehabilitation Directory and Resources
In Wisconsin, you must be licensed to conduct wildlife rehabilitation. It is defined as providing care or treatment to an orphaned, sick or injured wild animal for the purpose of releasing it back into the wild. Under state law, no person may rehabilitate any wild animal except as authorized under a rehabilitation license.
You can help reserve space for wild animals truly in need by always calling a licensed wildlife rehabilitator before assuming a wild animal needs help. In some cases, wildlife rehabilitators may temporarily modify how they can assist injured, orphaned, or sick wildlife to protect human and wildlife health and safety.
Most wild animals are protected under state and federal laws and cannot be taken from the wild or possessed by unauthorized citizens. Raising a wild animal as a pet is not only against the law and regulations, but also not in the animal's best interest. Wisconsin's captive wildlife regulations allow a citizen to possess a wild animal for up to 24 hours to transfer it to an appropriately licensed individual, such as a wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian. Even though wild animals are cute, they should not be viewed as pets.
*The DNR specialists and staff are not licensed to care for or rehabilitate wild animals.
Wildlife Rehabilitation Directory Map
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Directory Map was developed to streamline finding a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who can provide species-specific information and advice on injured, sick and potentially orphaned wildlife.
Directory Map features:
- A clickable map that provides additional information on wildlife rehabilitators in a county.
- Search for wildlife rehabilitators by species and location.
- Detailed contact information for each wildlife rehabilitator, including the species they can admit, website and more.
Launch Wildlife Rehabilitation Directory Map
You may also choose to view and use the simplified Statewide Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators List, organized by county.
Note: Due to concerns about highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), licensed wildlife rehabilitators may have restrictions on the admission of certain species. For more information, please visit the Avian influenza webpage.
Determine if a Wild Animal Needs Help
Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately if you believe a wild animal is sick, injured or truly orphaned. Never attempt to rehabilitate wildlife on your own. Wisconsin's licensed wildlife rehabilitators are specially trained to provide temporary care and treatment to wild animals and release them back into the wild.
Consult Keep Wildlife Wild for detailed resources to help determine if a wild animal is truly orphaned and choose an appropriate course of action.
Many young wild animal species spend most of their day without their mother, who may be away feeding or keeping her distance to protect her young.
Do not provide food or water; this can do more harm than good.