I found wildlife in the Algarve — what should I do?

Wild animals are not small pets, and well-meant help can sometimes do harm.

Healthy young wildlife

• Fledglings, fawns, hedgehogs and other young animals are often waiting for a parent nearby.
• Where it is safe, watch from a distance for a while before intervening.
• Try not to take healthy young wildlife home.
• Keep dogs and cats away from the area.

When wildlife may need help

• Clear injury, bleeding or an obviously broken limb.
• Caught in netting, fencing or litter.
• Cold, wet, very weak or covered in flies.
• A bird of prey or seabird unable to fly, or an animal in the road.

Getting the right help

Contact a wildlife rescue or the appropriate specialist service rather than raising a wild animal yourself — it is rarely successful and is regulated in Portugal. Domestic animal rescues are not automatically wildlife specialists, so check what an organisation actually handles. Only contain an animal where you have been advised to and it is safe: a ventilated box, somewhere quiet and dark, with no food or water unless instructed.

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I found an animal — see all situations · Lost & Found Pets & Animals in the Algarve

Information on this page is general guidance and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.