Urban Wildlife Management

Protecting urban wildlife populations begins with habitat protection, but we must actively managing urban wildlife populations and learning to appreciate and live with the wildlife that surrounds us.

Interacting with Wildlife

Injured and Orphaned Wildlife

People often find wild animals that they believe need “rescuing.” In some cases the animals are in fact injured or orphaned, but in other cases animals are simply going through normal developmental processes and are best left alone. Mishandling of injured wild animals can result in further injuries to both humans and wildlife. Rehabilitation of wild animals requires state and federal permits.We strongly encourage you to consult with one of the organizations listed below before capturing an injured wild animal. The Audubon Society of Portland Wildlife Care Center is the oldest and busiest wildlife rehabilitation center in Oregon. It treats all species of injured and orphaned native wildlife. Its staff can offer expert advice on wildlife rescue, preventing and resolving human-wildlife conflicts and can provide field resources to help address wildlife problems. The Center and its “Wildlife Hotline” are open from 9am-5pm, 365 days/year.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Audubon Society of Portland Wildlife Care Center:
503-292-0304, fax 503-292-1021
American Wildlife Foundation in Molalla
503-829-9567
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 503-657-2000
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 503 696-6211

Human-Wildlife Conflicts

We are fortunate to still have abundant wildlife across the Metropolitan Region. Sometimes, however, humans and wildlife living in close proximity can lead to conflicts.Most conflicts are preventable. The most common cause of human-wildlife conflict is feeding by humans, which can cause animals to lose their instinctual fear and lead to overpopulation and disease problems.

An increasingly popular, but widely misunderstood, approach to dealing with “nuisance” wildlife is relocation. During the past decade, the for-profit wildlife relocation industry has exploded across the Metropolitan Region.Wildlife relocation in most cases will NOT resolve problems. Unless the root causes of conflicts are addressed, new animals will quickly replace the animals that have been moved. In addition, many animals do not survive relocation, it can disrupt existing wildlife populations, and it can lead to disease transmission among populations.Wildlife Relocation is regulated in both Oregon and Washington. Only certain species may be relocated and any business or individual conducting relocation activities must have a permit from one of these agencies. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife can both provide lists of licensed relocation services that have met state standards to conduct these activities. Please do not contract with any relocation business that is not able to present a state permit.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

503-292-0304

503-657-2000

: 360-696-6211, fax 360-906-6776

: 360-902-2936, fax 360-902-2155