Urban Wildlife Management
Protecting urban wildlife populations begins with habitat protection, but we must actively managing urban wildlife populations and learning to appreciate and live with the wildlife that surrounds us.Interacting with Wildlife
Injured and Orphaned Wildlife
People often find wild animals that they believe need “rescuing.” In some cases the animals are in fact injured or orphaned, but in other cases animals are simply going through normal developmental processes and are best left alone. Mishandling of injured wild animals can result in further injuries to both humans and wildlife. Rehabilitation of wild animals requires state and federal permits.We strongly encourage you to consult with one of the organizations listed below before capturing an injured wild animal. The Audubon Society of Portland Wildlife Care Center is the oldest and busiest wildlife rehabilitation center in Oregon. It treats all species of injured and orphaned native wildlife. Its staff can offer expert advice on wildlife rescue, preventing and resolving human-wildlife conflicts and can provide field resources to help address wildlife problems. The Center and its “Wildlife Hotline” are open from 9am-5pm, 365 days/year.
Who Ya Gonna Call?
Audubon Society of Portland Wildlife Care Center:
503-292-0304, fax 503-292-1021
American Wildlife Foundation in Molalla
503-829-9567
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
503-657-2000
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
503 696-6211
Human-Wildlife Conflicts
We are fortunate to still have abundant wildlife across the Metropolitan Region. Sometimes, however, humans and wildlife living in close proximity can lead to conflicts.Most conflicts are preventable. The most common cause of human-wildlife conflict is feeding by humans, which can cause animals to lose their instinctual fear and lead to overpopulation and disease problems.
Audubon Society of Portland’s Wildlife Resource Office can provide expert advice on preventing and resolving human-wildlife conflicts. Its Wildlife Hotline is available from 9am-5pm, 365 days/year. Also visit Audubon Society of Portland’s Living with Urban Wildlife. Staff are available for onsite consultations and presentations to community groups.An increasingly popular, but widely misunderstood, approach to dealing with “nuisance” wildlife is relocation. During the past decade, the for-profit wildlife relocation industry has exploded across the Metropolitan Region.Wildlife relocation in most cases will NOT resolve problems. Unless the root causes of conflicts are addressed, new animals will quickly replace the animals that have been moved. In addition, many animals do not survive relocation, it can disrupt existing wildlife populations, and it can lead to disease transmission among populations.Wildlife Relocation is regulated in both Oregon and Washington. Only certain species may be relocated and any business or individual conducting relocation activities must have a permit from one of these agencies. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife can both provide lists of licensed relocation services that have met state standards to conduct these activities. Please do not contract with any relocation business that is not able to present a state permit.
Who Ya Gonna Call?
Audubon Society of Portland Urban Wildlife Resource Office
503-292-0304
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
503-657-2000
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Southwest Region Office:
360-696-6211, fax 360-906-6776
teamvancouver@dfw.wa.gov
Enforcement Branch in Olympia: 360-902-2936, fax 360-902-2155
enforcement-web@dfw.wa.gov
Dead Birds or Other Wildlife
Free-Roaming Domestic Animals
Living with Urban Wildlife: Toward a Rational Policy