A lot of people love the raccoon, with their little black burglar masks, and their shiny silvery fur, and their little baby hands that they touch everything with. They are cute little things, but they can cause a heck of a lot of trouble! Most wildlife species do everything for a reason. Squirrels chew on […]
Baby 7
Rabbits
Found a Baby Bunny? Click Here for Instructions. Annually, rehabs across the Midwest take in thousands of baby cottontails. Most of these are not really orphaned, but were “kidnapped” from their nests by well-meaning people. Cottontails are the most challenging animal for rehabilitators to care for because of their delicate physiologies, and so it is […]
Opossums
A lot of people who call the hotline have the wrong idea about opossums. No, they do not have rabies. In fact it is EXTREMELY rare if even POSSIBLE for opossums to get rabies because their body temperature is too low for rabies to survive and replicate well. The usual reason people think they have […]
Muskrats
Many people who live on or near a lake, creek, river, or body of water are very used to seeing our little ‘river rats’. Muskrats played an important role in the settlement of this country, providing food and fur for the people who came here. Nowadays, they live in our bodies of water, really tick […]
Mink
Every call the hotline gets regarding mink starts with “I think there’s a ferret or a weasel in my yard/shed/garage/etc.” No one ever thinks that what they are looking at is a mink. Most people think they only live in Russia, or somewhere equally as cold, snowy and remote. Mink actually live right near where […]
Groundhogs
Groundhogs and woodchucks are the same species. They are just called by both names. Groundhogs in Missouri and Illinois live just about everywhere. They often are in medians of highways, at highway exit ramps, in the grassy areas around shopping plazas, and people just don’t notice them. They live underground and eat mostly grasses, clover, […]
Deer
Our most common call concerning our local deer is when a person finds a fawn, or two, under their porch in their back yard. Mom is nowhere to be seen, and it seems as though these poor fawns have been abandoned at your house. We love this call. Mother deer leave their young somewhere safe […]
Coyotes
*If you are looking for our Mange by Mail Program, click here. Many of the calls we receive regarding coyotes and foxes are not technically help calls. They are much more like general education calls more than anything else. When you live in a busy metro area, or a major city, you do not expect […]
Chipmunks
The Midwestern states are home to the Eastern Chipmunk, a member of the rodent family along with squirrels, mice, and beavers. Chipmunks have reddish-brown fur on their upper body with a total of five dark brown stripes and contrasting light brown stripes along their backs. They have a tawny stripe that goes from their whiskers […]
Bobcats
medium-sized cats and are slightly smaller but similar in appearance to their cousin, the lynx. Their coats vary in color from shades of beige to brown fur with spotted or lined markings in dark brown or black. Bobcats are one of those animals that, when seen by residents, they prompt a lot of phone calls […]
Beavers
If you are reading this page, chances are you are currently very angry with a beaver. Maybe they are flooding your property, or felling your trees, but whatever it is, they have really ticked you off. We understand. We know that they can cause some trouble for private landowners. Before you decide to hate them […]
Bats
Bats are the only flying mammals. (Flying squirrels only glide.) Most bats in the North America eat insects. As a matter of fact, one bat eats about 2,000 to 6,000 insects each night. Many of the insects they eat include agricultural crop pests including the tomato horned worm, corn earworm, and many kinds of beetles. […]
Badger
Most people are unaware that badgers live in our area. They are rarely seen, and they don’t look like the typical ‘badger’ photos that you might see on television or in books, usually the European Badger. Missouri & Illinois and much of the Midwest is home to the North American Badger. The badger was built […]
Armadillos
In recent years armadillos have become a much more common sight in Missouri & Illinois. There is much debate over whether or not armadillos should be considered native or exotic species, but in the end, they are here and they seem to be staying. There are twenty different types of armadillos, but the only one […]
Our Wish List
In addition to monetary donations, we are always in need of items to assist us in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of the animals we care for. We are happy to issue a tax-deductible donation receipt for the FULL RETAIL VALUE of any items donated to our cause. Please call or email us if you […]
Help Wanted
We are now accepting volunteer applications for the 2021 Baby Season, currently in progress. Are you a true animal lover at heart?? Do you love all species of animals, even the ones that might not be as cute and cuddly as others?? When you are driving do you notice every animal on the side of […]
Babies
What species of baby did you find? Wildlife baby season is officially upon us here in the Midwest, and while they are adorable to watch out of a window, they also can be quite a problem for many of us. Sometimes it is difficult to see the logic in Mom’s decision to have her babies […]
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The Bi-State Wildlife Hotline is a nonprofit organization that is 100% volunteer staffed. We rescue, rehabilitate, reunite, and re-release sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife in Missouri and Illinois. Bi-State Wildlife Hotline is a FREE service. You will never be charged a fee for any of our services. Bi-State Wildlife will not and does not […]