Ohio Wildlife Center receives many questions and requests from the public everyday, and we have a variety of resources to handle them.
Most questions and requests we get are about injured, ill or orphaned wildlife here in central Ohio. We have developed our Found An Animal Tool to assist people in finding answers to their wildlife questions!
We have also provided references to connect with organizations and agencies that can help with questions regarding topics such as state wildlife permits and licenses, domestic animal concerns, or other areas outside of our expertise.
Ohio law states that it is illegal for anyone to possess a wild-caught native or game animal without permits from the Ohio Division of Wildlife and/or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Ohio Wildlife Center is in possession of permits that allow us to temporarily hold native wild animals in our care, to provide wildlife rehabilitation services with the goal of release and to hold certain individual native animals in long-term wildlife care as educational ambassadors. Without these permits, we would not be allowed to take part in any of these activities.
Please consider important health and safety issues when dealing with a wild animal – even a baby wild animal you think would be better off with you than with a trained wildlife rehabilitator:
There are two categories of wildlife rehabilitation permits in Ohio. See full detail in Ohio’s administrative code 1501:31-25-03v1 .
Category I Rehabilitation Permits allow individuals to rehabilitate healthy, orphaned or non-rabies vector mammals such as squirrels, rabbits and woodchucks.
Category II Rehabilitation Permits allows individuals with at least three years of rehabilitation experience as a Category I Rehabilitator or equivalent to rehabilitate all species of wild animals except rabies-vector species, deer, coyote, bobcat, mute swans, and state or federal endangered species unless otherwise approved by the Chief of the Division of Wildlife. Category II Rehabilitators must have the ability to properly care for wild animals that are diseased, injured or need rehabilitative care.
Ohio Wildlife Center’s Hospital holds a Category II permit, with special permissions for state and federal endangered species, osprey, peregrine falcons, trumpeter swans, fawns and rabies-vector species (not coyote, bobcat or bear).
See complete detail in Ohio’s administrative code 1501:31-15-03v1.
See full detail in Ohio’s administrative code 1501:31-25-04v1.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 prohibits the take (including killing, capturing, selling, trading and transport) of protected migratory bird species without prior authorization by the Department of Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Most birds we encounter in Ohio are federally protected and cannot be harmed or harassed without prior authorization. The protection extends to their nests and eggs. Ohio Wildlife Center recommends tolerance for birds nesting in less-than-ideal places.
See full details in Ohio’s Revised Code 935.
This law prohibits the ownership of “dangerous wild animals” unless the animal was possessed before the law or owned by an exempt organization such as an AZA accredited zoo.
Complaints about someone who possesses a “dangerous wild animal” should be directed to the Department of Agriculture by phone at (614) 728-6220 or email at dwa.cdb@agri.ohio.gov.
If a “dangerous wild animal” has escaped or is otherwise loose in a neighborhood, please have the caller dial 911 first, then call the 1-855-DWA-OHIO.
“Dangerous wild animal” means any of the following, including hybrids unless otherwise specified:
*Legal in Ohio (depending on local laws): marmosets, capuchins, lemurs and squirrel monkeys.
Restricted Snakes:
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