Welcome to Golden Bough Wildlife, Inc

Saving Urban Wildlife of Greater Boston (& all Massachusetts), 24/7 🌃🐿🌳

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Donate to save wildlife 🦋🦢🐥🦝🐇🕊️🦨🐁🐿️🌳

Baby bottle and milk? How hard can it be? 🍼🐿️🦨🐇

Did you know cow milk can KILL a raccoon?

Raccoons require the same medicines to prevent diseases that can kill dogs (Parvo, distemper, rabies, worms)
Squirrels and rabbits can not swallow the way a baby kitten can (feeding rodents & lagomorph’s by bottle results in aspiration pneumonia)
Baby animals need a supplemental means to stay warm! They do not sustain body temperature from the environment, (a hot room, thick blankets, hot sunny days, ‘it’s warm in my shed/basement’… will NOT help or raise the temperature of a cold, hypothermic, orphaned baby, or stunned/hurt adult). When there is no mother, or most trauma, we MUST provide a supplemental heating source: a *dry rice-sock warmed for a few seconds in a microwave, a water bottle filled with hot water & safely wrapped/covered in a dry cloth. See below section for more ideas.
Almost all our baby animals need a different and custom formula. Each are expressly created for each animal ‘s unique nutritional requirements as well as ingredients that closely mimic their mothers milk. Raccoons, striped skunk, squirrels, & rabbits have different replacements. We never give formula right away.
Wildlife rehabbers are trained in wildlife medicine to assess dehydration, what types and delivery methods are needed cases by case. Feeding a starving, hurt, or orphan before it is stabilized will likely have a terrible outcome.
Animals in the RSV (rabies vector specie) list must be quarantined for 2-3 weeks!

What should I do if I find a hurt or orphaned animal?

Call a wildlife rehabber, or wildlife clinic/hospital so we can help determine if it truly needs intervention.
If a baby animal is cold, has insects on it, blood, it likely needs help.
We can reunite babies more often than you think! Calling a wildlife professional can prevent an unnecessary orphaning. Nests collapse or get disturbed, mothers (in houses, sheds, during landscaping) might become displaced. Rehabbers know methods that can often successfully reunite the family. Baby animals, birds, amphibians or reptiles.. mom and sometimes dad, know best!
Do not offer food or water.
Place in a box or animal carrier with clean fleece, flannel, soft blanket (nothing with loops/no towel)
Place a small warmed water bottle wrapped in a T-shirt, hand warmer, *dry rice-sick (pour 1/4-1/2 cup DRY rice in a tube-sock, knot to close, and microwave for 10-20 seconds, feel for temp not scalding or tepid. Reheat as needed), or heating pad on low UNDER 1/2 the box. A car heated seat does nicely too. Never wet the animal or place wet towels or bedding with the animal.
If the animal is already wet, put absorbing (no loop) dish towels, t-shirt, baby blanket in a dyer till warm, place in with the animal, change as needed if it is safe to do so. Please wear protective gloves! Barbecue, thick garden/rose, or lined winter gloves will help.
Make sure there are air holes in the box
Keep the animal away from noise, pets, children in a WARM dark quiet area. Please do not place outside. Preferably, please contain in a warm bathroom, basement, closet. Do not handle as this animal is likely in shock.

What is the BEST way to reach Golden Bough Wildlife?

Please reach us at info@goldenboughwildlife.org

However, we are often quite delayed responding via email.

if you need an answer urgently, or during any wildlife emergency, for prompt response, please call or text the following:

857-770-8709 EST

For non urgent inquiries, please email.

Is Golden Bough Wildlife a 501(c)(3) MA nonprofit charity?

Yes, Golden Bough Wildlife IS a non profit charity. donations Contributions are tax deductible, meaning that—if you itemize—you can deduct the amount of your donations to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations from your taxable income.

Is Golden Bough Wildlife run by a state or federally licensed/permitted rehabber?

Golden Bough Wildlife, Inc holds all current permits for the state of Massachusetts including vaccination to handle rabies vector species, or ‘RVS’.
By law they we CAN accept most species found, however, specific animals and birds require care under the protection of a Federal permit. Those animals are transferred for specialized or long-term care.

Should I give food or water, milk or baby food to a wild animal? What if they look weak and thirsty?

We ask that you NEVER feed or administer water to a wild animal. There are many social media and other posts give poor advice, or missing critical steps. Though it may seems counterintuitive not to give food or water, a simple mistake can have irreversible, painful, often a lethal outcome. We know it can be frustrating, and scary trying to reach help in a wildlife emergency, especially during baby seasons, however if you text as many as you can, (please expand to rehabbers on MA.Gov outside your area), we can advise you how to safely keep an animal from further decline until it can be placed with a wildlife professional ❤️‍🩹🐇

About Us

How Can We Help?

Donations are wonderful, but there are so many ways to help.
We always need clean infant safe baby toys/stuffed animals🧸

Items like paper towels and clean flat sheeets.🧻🧺

Are you a master carpenter or handy with repairing sheds and outdoor structure? Donating your skills is a gift we ALWAYS NEED🪜🪚

Interested in hands on learning? Maybe youd like to get some practical experience so YOU can become a Wildlife Rehabber too! There are time commitments, but we’d love the help and we need more dedicated folks willing to join the all volunteer army!

Cleaning? Can you spare a few hours a week to help clean the clinic?
Gardening? We grow some of the fresh flora for our wildlife, but we need to care for the animals first! Maybe help tend the meadow or edibles?

Are you a serious seamstress?

We always need critter cubes, hammocks and cuddle beds… we have the patterns if you have the ability.

Funny looking veggies and fruits? Dog and cat foods? Do you fish? Clam? Animal diets cost a LOT! you might be surprised what baby Virginia Opossum, Striped Skunk, Raccoons and squirrels eat AFTER they are weaned from specialized formula

🍓🌽🫐🥜🍇🍎🥚🥦🥑🐠🦗🍒🍽️……..🦝🦨🐿️🐇

Get Involved!

How Can We Help?

We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our vision a reality. We'll help you find a way to volunteer that best suits you.

please email volunteer@goldenboughwildlife.org

for more about finding or becoming a wildlife rehabber

https://www.mass.gov/wildlife-rehabilitation?_gl=1*7fo2ti*_ga*NzAyODA4NDc4LjE3MzIxNTMxMzQ.*_ga_MCLPEGW7WM*MTczMjE1MzE1MS4xLjEuMTczMjE1MzgxNS4wLjAuMA..q=Wildlife+&_gl=1*veofl0*_ga*NzAyODA4NDc4LjE3MzIxNTMxMzQ.*_ga_E2HYQ6TW32*MTczMjE1MzE0My4xLjAuMTczMjE1MzE1MC4wLjAuMA..*_ga_SW2TVH2WBY*MTczMjE1MzE0My4xLjAuMTczMjE1MzE1MC4wLjAuMA..

Thank You !🥰

How Can We Help?

Thank You !🥰

We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help of supporters like you. Thank you for the time and donations that make this possible!

Golden Bough Wildlife, Inc

Golden Bough Wildlife, Inc

Welcome to Golden Bough Wildlife, Inc

Baby bottle and milk? How hard can it be? 🍼🐿️🦨🐇

Did you know cow milk can KILL a raccoon?

What should I do if I find a hurt or orphaned animal?

Providing rehabilitation to injured/orphaned & ill wildlife