Best practices for nuisance wildlife control operators in New York State

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Ch 4: Section four: What you need to know about wildlife diseases

A few wildlife-related safety tips from the CDC that you may want to share with customers

• Teach children never to handle unfamiliar animals, wild or domestic, even if they appear friendly. "Love your own, leave other animals alone."
   
• Enjoy wild animals from afar. Never adopt wild animals or bring them into your home. Do not handle, feed, or unintentionally attract wild animals to your home or yard (see below).
   
• Don't try to nurse sick animals to health. Do not "rescue" baby birds or other baby animals. They usually don't need it. (Direct questions to a wildlife rehabilitator or DEC Bureau of Wildlife staff.)
   
• Before traveling abroad, consult with a health care provider, travel clinic, or your health department about the risk of exposure to rabies. They can advise you about whether pre-exposure rabies vaccinations are sensible, and how you should handle an exposure in that country, should it arise.
   
• These CDC tips focus on disease prevention. As we mentioned earlier, you can take measures to prevent nuisance situations while leaving part of your landscape for wildlife. There are many things to consider when managing land for wildlife, including the risk of exposure to wildlife diseases.

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