Mammals
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When animals cause damage indoors, they should be removed before repairs are made. If repairs are not made other animals will find their way back inside.
To get rid of a trapped animal: Use a Havahart® trap (TNC Members may borrow one from TNC) and released back on your own property.
If releasing the animal on your property is impossible then the animal must be released within the township of origin in suitable habitat and with permission from the landowner. If no private land is available for release, the New Jersey Division of Wildlife may approve a release on the closest state Wildlife Management Area on a case by case basis.
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Persons wishing to release a nuisance or rehabilitated adult rabies vector species must first contact the Office of Permit Management at 609-292-2966. For more information on relocating animals in New Jersey please see the State of New Jersey - Policy on the relocation of wildlife.
It is prohibited to release any wildlife on Tenafly Nature Center Property. No releases are allowed on federal, state, county or municipal land. No releases within the township may be greater than a 10-mile distance from the capture site for raccoons and 5 miles for skunks and woodchucks.
Wildlife like raccoons can be smart and can find ways to get into our garbage. The following are a few things you can do to help keep them from becoming a nuisance:
- Keep garbage cans in your garage until morning of trash day
- Use metal cans only and keep them closed with bungee cords
- Try a spray (brand name “Ro-pel) that tastes bad, to be used on trash cans and bags. You may find it in local hardware stores (ex. Benjamin Brothers).
Woodchucks (also known as groundhogs) are a medium sized rodent that is commonly found throughout NJ. The woodchuck is a compact, short-legged animal weighing from 5-10 lbs. Fur coloration varies from yellowish-brown to blackish-brown. Its feet and short bristly tail are dark brown to black. Known for nesting underground Groundhogs can remove about 700 pounds of soil to create a 25 foot long burrow with multiple chambers. They usually live for 2-3 years, but can live up to six years in the wild. On occasion, the woodchuck’s burrowing and feeding habits conflict with human interests. Damage often occurs in home gardens and around buildings. Therefore many people consider these animals to be a nuisance and try to eliminate them from their property.
Woodchucks are burrowing animals and hibernate during the winter months. They become active in March when the males are seeking mates, high activity, however, does not occur until the young are born and warm weather sets in. Litter size averages four and young are dropped in late April or May. Young are born blind and naked and are weaned in six to eight weeks. Woodchucks have one litter per year and by July, shortly after weaning, the young disperse and frequently take up occupancy in abandoned dens. Woodchucks are strict vegetarians and normally range no more than a half mile from their dens.
To get rid of a woodchuck. We suggest that you use a Havahart® trap (TNC Members may borrow one from TNC), and released on your own property. If releasing the animal on your property is impossible then the animal must be released within the township of origin in suitable habitatand with permission from the landowner. If no private land is available for release, the New Jersey Division of Wildlife may approve a release on the closest state Wildlife Management Area on a case by case basis.
Persons wishing to release a nuisance or rehabilitated adult rabies vector species must first contact the Office of Permit Management at 609-292-2966. For more information on relocating animals in New Jersey please see the State of New Jersey - Policy on the relocation of wildlife.
It is prohibited to release any wildlife on Tenafly Nature Center Property. No releases are allowed on federal, state, county or municipal land. No releases within the township may be greater than a 10-mile distance from the capture site for raccoons and 5 miles for skunks and woodchucks.
Information provided directly above also applies to raccoon and skunk removal.
The best thing to do to keep squirrels and rodents away from bird feeders is to keep birdseed off the ground. Squirrels can jump about 5 feet vertically so you need to place your feeders 5 to 6 feet off the ground. They can also jump about 10 feet horizontally so place your feeders at least 8 feet away from any Trees, bushes, railings, etc. Here at TNC we have our feeders hanging from a wire between two trees. We have placed empty 2 liter bottles along the wire which prevent the squirrels from accessing our feeders. For our pole-mounted feeders we use baffles and place them at least 4 feet from the ground. We also have feeders that close when the weight of a squirrel is applied to the perch.
Other solutions you might try:
- Set up a squirrel feeding station away from your bird feeders.
- Use bird seed mixes that contain a spicy pepper-like substance that squirrels supposedly find distasteful.
- We do not suggest that your attempt to live-trap the squirrels and move them to another locations. Other squirrel populations typically just move in.
- Use seed trays under your feeders to catch the birdseed that is being discarded and clean up the discarded seed and debris from under your feeders frequently.
Loud music, an ammonia soaked rag in a can or bright lights may all be used to deter the squirrel. After they leave repairs must be made or other animals will find their way inside. To get rid of a trapped squirrel. We suggest that you use a Havahart® trap (TNC Members may borrow one from TNC), baited with seeds and peanut butter, and released on your own property. If releasing the animal on your property is impossible then the animal must be released within the township of origin in suitable habitat and with permission from the landowner. If no private land is available for release, the New Jersey Division of Wildlife may approve a release on the closest state Wildlife Management Area on a case by case basis.
Persons wishing to release a nuisance or rehabilitated adult rabies vector species must first contact the Office of Permit Management at 609-292-2966. For more information on relocating animals in New Jersey please see the State of New Jersey - Policy on the relocation of wildlife.
It is prohibited to release any wildlife on Tenafly Nature Center Property. No releases are allowed on federal, state, county or municipal land. No releases within the township may be greater than a 10-mile distance from the capture site for raccoons and 5 miles for skunks and woodchucks.
Animals that look healthy, are probably healthy. It is normal for most animals including raccoons and skunks to be out and active during some daylight hours, especially during mating season and while feeding their young. Mother raccoons often search for food during the day to help feed her cubs. However if the animal is foaming at the mouth, circling, staggering or showing signs of aggression, then it may have distemper or rabies and you should call an animal control officer.
For more information on rabies and other wildlife transmitted diseases please visit the State of New Jersey Department of Health website.
Less than 1% of bats carry the rabies virus, so chances are that your bat is rabies free. If the bat appears healthy and you have not come in contact with the bat leave the windows open to allow it to escape. If you are concerned about exposure the State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services has a Guide to proper handling of bat exposure.
According to the State of New Jersey Department of Health the only permanent method to get rid of bats from a home, and keep them out, is to exclude them by bat-proofing. There are no chemicals registered in New Jersey for killing bats, and the use of unregistered pesticides only increases the chances that children and pets will come in contact with bats that are ill from poisoning.
For more information on bats found here in New Jersey please visit the State of New Jersey Department of Health website
Bats are quite agile fliers fully capable of avoiding crashes into objects. By using echolocation, a sonar system for locating objects by listening for the reflection of high-frequency sounds produced by their vocal cords, bats can easily circumvent large obstacles as well as identify, track, and capture very small, moving prey in the dark. Bats "swooping" around people’s heads at night usually happens because humans warm bodies attract insects like mosquitoes.
There are bats in Central America that feed on blood, known as vampire bats. All of the bats found here in New Jersey are insect eaters; a bat can consume hundreds of insects in an hour. Think of the mosquito problems we would have without bats! Bats are actually quite harmless and are important indicators of a healthy environment. Since they are vulnerable to pollution and pesticides, their presence or absence can tell scientists a lot about the overall health of the local environment.
Leave it alone! A doe will leave her fawn for long periods during the day and visit only when nursing. Fawns have little or no scent so they are difficult for predators to find. Please leave the fawn alone; your scent on its fur may attract predators. If you have brought the fawn into your house take it back, immediately, to the spot where you found it, and leave it there. The mother should come back again looking for the fawn. Even one or two days after removal from the wild, fawns have been successfully reunited with their mothers by returning them to the place where they were found. When you picked up the fawn, the mother was probably eating not far away. Usually young fawns are quite safe when left alone because their color pattern and lack of scent help them to remain undetected until their mother returns.
The Tenafly Nature Center does not take injured or orphaned wildlife! An animal’s best chance of survival is in the care of its own mother. If you have you found a young squirrel out of the nest follow the Tenafly Nature Center's advice to determine whether it has fallen from the nest prematurely, or if being out of the nest is its intention.
Leave them alone! Baby raccoons are sometimes seen on the ground near a large hallow tree. These young animals most likely did not fall out of their home up in the tree and the mother has probably not abandoned them. A person usually does not need to "help" them and should not bring them home. Most likely, the young raccoons are merely exploring, and their mother is nearby. They are probably old enough to be fully capable of climbing back up the tree to their den when they are ready to return. If they were too young to climb, the mother would carry them back.
The Tenafly Nature Center does not take injured or orphaned wildlife! An animal’s best chance of survival is in the care of its own mother. If you have you found a young rabbit out of the nest follow the Tenafly Nature Center's advice to determine whether it needs help, or if being out of the nest is its intention.
Coyotes are generally not dangerous to hikers. Humans have had a mostly peaceful relationship with coyotes for the past 100 years in New Jersey. In the past 10 years, there have been very few reported attacks on people in New Jersey. Learn more about coyotes in New Jersey and how to keep your family and pets safe.
In early colonial times, wolves were perceived as a threat to the lives and livelihood of the colonists. In the 1600’s settlers in the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies hunted and trapped the Gray Wolf until they disappeared from most of the United States. Hunting, trapping, and the westward expansion of settlers in the 1800’s and early 1900’s led directly to the near extinction of many large predators such as Lynx, Eastern Cougars, and wolves. Until about the mid-1850’s there were Gray Wolves in New Jersey. Today they are listed as Endangered and wolves no longer live in New Jersey outside of zoos. They are an extirpated species, meaning they are locally extinct and have been for the past 100 years in the Northeast. Coyotes have adapted and are now filling the void wolves left in the food chain.
Only recently have public views changed as people have become increasingly interested in wilderness preservation and the conservation and restoration of wildlife species historically found in these areas. The Lakota Wolf Preserve in Columbia, NJ is one area visitors can see these elusive predators.
Black bears live in New Jersey and are an important native species to our ecosystem. About 100 years ago, black bears were almost gone from the NJ because the forests in which they live were being cut down. Through conservation efforts their population numbers increased and today, there are more black bears than ever before.
While black bears do reside in New Jersey they are not commonly seen in Tenafly and Eastern Bergen County. The most common bear problem New Jersey's residents experience is black bears getting into their garbage. Bears are attracted to neighborhoods by garbage odors, so properly securing your garbage is one of the best ways to prevent bears from becoming a nuisance in your community.
It is important to remember that black bears are large, wild animals. If you see a black bear, you should never go near it. Instead, watch it from far away. Never feed or try to pet a black bear. Black bears learn very quickly and if they learn to associate people with food, they may lose their fear of people, which can be dangerous for both the bear and for peoeple.
Please treat black bears with respect and if you see a bear here are some tips that you should follow:
- Do not get scared and do not run.
- Talk to the bear to let it know you are there.
- Never feed the bear!
- Do not go near the bear.
- Do not look directly into the bear's eyes.
- Make sure the bear can get out of your yard or pathway easily if it wants to. Don't stand in front of the escape route!
- Make lots of noise. It could scare the bear away.
- If you are playing with friends, get in a big group. Talk and wave your arms. You will look really big and the bear might leave.
- Childrend should be reminded to always tell parents if they see a bear.
- Bears can make a lot of noise, so they may huff, snap their jaws and slap the ground if they think you are too close. Back away slowly.
- A bear that stands on its back legs is not about to attack you. It just wants to see and smell you better. Let a bear know you are there by waving your arms and talking to it.
- Bears may pretend to attack by running at you. DO NOT RUN! Back away slowly and get to a safe area.
- Black bears rarely hurt people. If a black bear attacks, fight back!.
The State of New Jersey has a lot of information on Black Bears in New Jersey and is a good resoure for many quewstions.
