Nocturnal Animal Out During the Day
Q: What does it mean when a nocturnal animal is out during the day?
A: Although nocturnal animals are most active throughout the night, it is not necessarily an indication that something is wrong if seen out during the day. A mother skunk or raccoon will often venture out in the daytime to take a well deserved break from their babies, whether they utilize this break to find food or catch up on some sleep, once rested the dedicated mothers return to their young. At certain times of the year, particularly in the fall, animals must be efficient in preparing for the winter and maximize their foraging time to find food, therefore starting out during daylight is not uncommon. Another possibility to consider is if an animal has been displaced from its home due to construction or heavy rain and flooding, then it is forced to move on sometimes during the day in search of a new shelter. Last but not least, the winter and early spring months signifies mating season for most species, meaning a peak in activity throughout the day during that time frame. As a general rule of thumb, if an animal appears active and alert, best to leave it alone.
Q: How can I determine if perhaps there is something wrong?
A: If an animal is injured it will be fairly obvious, do not attempt to take an action yourself, contact your local Humane Society for advice. If an injured animal has climbed up into a tree, nothing can be done for it until it comes back down on its own. Even when injured, most animals will eventually come back down if it was able to get up there in the first place. Otherwise if an animal is curled up sleeping beside your home for example, best to leave it alone unless it remains in the same spot for more than 24 hours. If an animal is behaving oddly and you are concerned that it may be sick, again, contact your local Humane Society for further instruction on how to handle the situation or whether or not they can respond.
Q: Should I take any precautions?
A: If an animal has wandered onto your property, sick or not, always keep a safe distance and they will do the same, so don’t overreact. Wild animals are not aggressive by nature, unless provoked or feeling threatened, otherwise they prefer to avoid any confrontation.
A: Although nocturnal animals are most active throughout the night, it is not necessarily an indication that something is wrong if seen out during the day. A mother skunk or raccoon will often venture out in the daytime to take a well deserved break from their babies, whether they utilize this break to find food or catch up on some sleep, once rested the dedicated mothers return to their young. At certain times of the year, particularly in the fall, animals must be efficient in preparing for the winter and maximize their foraging time to find food, therefore starting out during daylight is not uncommon. Another possibility to consider is if an animal has been displaced from its home due to construction or heavy rain and flooding, then it is forced to move on sometimes during the day in search of a new shelter. Last but not least, the winter and early spring months signifies mating season for most species, meaning a peak in activity throughout the day during that time frame. As a general rule of thumb, if an animal appears active and alert, best to leave it alone.
Q: How can I determine if perhaps there is something wrong?
A: If an animal is injured it will be fairly obvious, do not attempt to take an action yourself, contact your local Humane Society for advice. If an injured animal has climbed up into a tree, nothing can be done for it until it comes back down on its own. Even when injured, most animals will eventually come back down if it was able to get up there in the first place. Otherwise if an animal is curled up sleeping beside your home for example, best to leave it alone unless it remains in the same spot for more than 24 hours. If an animal is behaving oddly and you are concerned that it may be sick, again, contact your local Humane Society for further instruction on how to handle the situation or whether or not they can respond.
Q: Should I take any precautions?
A: If an animal has wandered onto your property, sick or not, always keep a safe distance and they will do the same, so don’t overreact. Wild animals are not aggressive by nature, unless provoked or feeling threatened, otherwise they prefer to avoid any confrontation.
STOP - DO NOT TRAP AND RELOCATE THE ANIMAL - Click here to find out why