Relocating Wildlife

Many of our customers mention that they have had wildlife issues of one sort or another and have successfully trapped and relocated wildlife. Customers are likely to have trapped and relocated opossums, groundhogs, raccoons, and even rats. They are less likely to have relocated skunks and bats because most people are reluctant to handle these species. Snakes may or may not be relocated. Some people are likely to kill the snake on the spot and skip the live relocation ( my mom fits into this category). This would seem to be an obvious and peaceful solution to the problem but, it has many hidden pitfalls.

Relocation Can Be Inhumane

First, relocation may not be as humane as you may think. The woodland or grassy field that you release the relocated animal into may look equal to the one you took it from, but the critter you are releasing will not think so. There are key habitat variables that attract animals to a specific area. There may be something like a persimmon tree that is in fruit that is providing an Opossum’s caloric needs or an easily accessible water source. These habitat variables will not be readily visible to the untrained eye.

Wildlife species have regular zones where they travel, nest, feed, etc. In the world of wildlife management this is called a home range. People also have home ranges. Think of your travel area. You go from home to work to the grocery store and to the school to pick up and drop off the kids. You know where everything is that you need. Imagine though, if you were picked up by aliens and dropped in a strange new land without food, water, or shelter. Your survival would be at stake, especially if you were left in a wilderness area. You would be likely to die before you found the resources that you needed.

Relocating squirrels could lead to their death. Squirrels cache nuts through the fall to carry them into the next spring. Relocating squirrels moves them away from their food source and may cause them to starve during the winter. Generally speaking, squirrels are highly strung animals and do not do well in traps. The stress of capture is often too much for them and they die in the traps. The most humane way to deal with squirrels is to create a one way door which allows the squirrel to exit but that denies re-entry, thus preventing the squirrel from causing damage inside your home while allowing them access to their food cache. Setting up a one way door well requires experience. Squirrels will test your work and, if done poorly, will re-enter your home. To learn more see our page on How We Get Squirrels out of your home.

The same is true of most wildlife species, especially four legged ones. Once dropped in a new area, they will not know where to find food, water, or shelter, and they are likely to die before they are able to locate what they need. They will also be less acquainted with danger zones associated with highways, back yard dogs, etc. One misstep may lead to death for the newly relocated critter.

Relocating Highly Mobile Species

Highly mobile animals (birds and bats) have excellent road maps in their heads. They are very familiar with larger territories and are highly likely to find their way back to your home. In fact, depending on road conditions, they might beat you back home. Think about it - some of these species (Chimney Swifts being a good example) travel a yearly migratory loop that takes them all the way to Central America. Thinking that they can’t find their way back to your house is naive.

Bats are another good example of this problem. Big Brown Bats do not travel the long distances that Chimney Swifts do, but still maintain large feeding territories. Bats have an excellent memory of local terrain and will have no problem returning to their roost site.

Legally Protected Wildlife

Second, the laws regulating wildlife vary from state to state and are very complicated. This could become a very serious problem if law enforcement were to become aware of your situation. Many animals like bats and non-game animals are federally protected.

Migratory bird species are federally protected. This would cover a species like Chimney Swift or the Canadian Goose. Chimney Swift migrates to the tropics in the winter and Canadian Geese migrate north to south and are only present in Canada during breeding season. Harming or possessing a migratory species would violate the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Violators of this act would be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to fines up to $500 or six months in jail or both for each violation. Suspected violators may have their premises or vehicles searched without a warrant. Traps and other possessions involved in the violation can be confiscated permanently.

Additional State laws exist for other species groups. Tennessee state law says:

No person shall, at any time or by any means, possess or transport live animals taken under the authority of the hunting and trapping season proclamations. No native species may be taken out of the wild and kept as pets.

In short, this means that it is a violation of state law to transport for release or possess species native to Tennessee or Virginia. Similar laws are in place in Virginia also. Domestic species like cats, dogs, pigs, etc. don’t count. Depending on the species and situation, violations may be either a misdemeanor or a felony.

Unintentional Transportation of Diseased Animals

Wildlife diseases are another important issue. This can turn into huge problems that the average homeowner has little knowledge of. Transporting wildlife to a new location exposes the homeowner to the disease. All wildlife species carry some sort of zoonotic disease. Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted to humans. These diseases are nothing to fool with. Some examples of extremely serious Zoonotic diseases include AIDS, EBOLA, and the Plague. All these terrible diseases originated with wildlife species. Each wildlife species has its own selection of nasty diseases that you can catch. Rodents carry Hanta Virus, birds and bats can spread Histoplasmosis, etc. Don’t mess with Zoonotic diseases. If there are droppings, blood, or other bodily fluids left in your vehicle, be careful with the cleanup and, DON’T get yourself bitten!

Relocating animals also transports diseases to a new areas. This can trigger serious disease outbreaks in previously unaffected areas. Issues with rabies is a prime example of this problem. Infected animals do not show symptoms of rabies for several days. The animal you have in the back of your car may be infected but show no outward signs. Some species that are likely to contract rabies include bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes. Of species affected by rabies, raccoons are more likely than any other wildlife to be infected. Other species can contract the disease; but these species are more likely than others to be infected. Animals infected by rabies take a week or longer to develop symptoms. Anyone who relocates raccoons may be relocating the virus to a new area and starting an outbreak. No one wants to be responsible for a rabies outbreak or to expose themselves. Rabies outbreaks can devastate wild populations. Locally, rabies vaccine packets are dropped by aircraft in an attempt to vaccinate wild populations.

There is an Endless Supply of Animals Out There So Relocating One May Not Make a Difference

When customers mention relocating wildlife, often the species that was relocated is the same species that I have been called in to handle. Removing a problem animal doesn’t solve the problem. Think of relocating wildlife as dipping water out of a pond. With each dip of water that is taken out, more water flows in to take its place. The same happens with wildlife. In fact, your home may have features that actually attract wildlife. In many seasons, wildlife are actively hunting a good nesting or denning site. A small hole somewhere up on the second story of your home may not look like a big deal to you, but it may be just the ticket for a small critter that has the ability to fly or climb up there. A hole in your foundations more often than not is a critter hotel. Visitors will come and go at will. I can’t tell you how many times I have crawled under a home to find droppings from multiple species. Homeowners usually have no clue that all this is going on.

If the architectural problems are not fixed, the problem is going to repeat endlessly. It will not matter how far you drive this particular raccoon, squirrel, or opossum… there will just be another next year to take its place. It is always better to harden a home against wildlife if you can do so. See our page on How to Seal Your Home Against Wildlife Invaders.

You May be Moving Your Problems to someone Else’s back Yard

Groundhogs for instance, will dig burrows regardless of where they are. If they are relocated to another property, they will dig there too. If you trap them out from under your deck and relocate them, it is possible for them to find another building to dig under. Keep in mind that they will probably not stay exactly where you drop them. There is likely to be a homeowner somewhere out there who will discover a new groundhog under his building.

For species with a high capacity for learning, the problems that you are experiencing may be due to learned skills. Many animal mothers pass on their skills to their young. Skills can include finding food, den selection, and avoidance or attraction to human habitations. Relocating an animal with “special skills” may be moving your problem to someone else’s property.

What to Do Instead of Relocating Wildlife Yourself

First you should try to deter the animal from coming around your property by securing food sources and other attractants. Pet food, compost piles, garbage, etc. can be a powerful attractant that can create bad wildlife habits. Securing these items should be your first line of defense. As you may have already gathered, simply dumping wildlife a couple of miles down the road is not a good solution. This is exactly why states license Wildlife Control Operators like The Wildlife Company. We are fully trained in applicable laws, disease issues, best management practices, etc. and how they pertain to each situation. Wildlife Control Operators have a license that allows them to be in possession of wildlife species that homeowners are not. In most cases, it is a much better idea to call in a professional than try to handle things yourself. If you need help with wildlife, contact The Wildlife Company. We are fully trained professionals that can handle wildlife issues much easier and more effectively than a homeowner.

Releasing the Animal on Your Own Property

A Not-So-Obvious Good Decision

Many customers prefer the animal to be removed, but often this is the best option. Doing this may seem counter intuitive, but as mentioned above, there is an endless supply of animals out there to crawl back into your home. Sealing the entrance is critical to your success and is really what will protect you in the long run. Customers who don’t bother to harden their home to wildlife definitely have repeat issues anyway. Finding all the holes and sealing them with the critter on the outside is the best permanent fix, but you need to make sure that things are completely sealed. This may require some experience. If you need help, Call US! You don’t want to keep having this same challenging experience over and over again.

Does it really matter if there is one more or one less critter in your neighborhood? Maybe that animal has a special interest in your home or business (babies in the attic) or maybe this animal has developed special urban survival skills. But, maybe not. This is a good topic to discuss once we have a chance to look things over and give you an analysis of your problem.