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Learning
About the Animals
Living in Florida means
living with wildlife. We share our neighborhoods with animals ranging from
squirrels to alligators. While some residents of Brevard object to their
presence, other residents offer a misguided sense of kindness by feeding them.
Regardless of your position, it is important to remember that wild animals are
wild!
If you encounter an injured wild animal or bird: (1) Do Not Touch! (2) Call the Florida
Wildlife Hospital at (321) 254-8843 or If you have nuisance wildlife, your best bet is to seek assistance to evaluate the problem. Many times it is a misunderstanding of the animal's behavior. Taking one animal by trapping usually does little to relieve the situation. We can offer alternatives in most cases. If you need a trap however, traps are available free from the South Animal Care and Adoption Center at 5100 W Eau Gallie Blvd, Melbourne, 32935, (321) 253-6608 or the North Animal Care and Adoption Center at 1605 Flake Road, Titusville, FL 32780, (321) 264-5119. A $40.00 deposit is required. Traps are borrowed for 4 days and must be reserved in advanced. Reservations can be made by calling 633-2024. Traps are serviced by Animal Services and Enforcement from 6am to 6pm Monday through Friday. Traps are not serviced on weekends or holidays.
If you encounter an alligator, call the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission at 1-800-426-7711. Their number is also located on the inside cover of all local phone books. Rabies is an infectious disease that may be contracted by humans. Rabies destroys the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord and leads to death. A virus that lives in the host's saliva causes the disease. If some infected saliva enters another body, than there is the chance of rabies. When the disease enters the body, it travels along the nerves to the spine and brain and causes swelling. Symptoms of rabies can show within 10 days after exposure or up to 7 months later; in humans, that may be as much as 7 years later. Which Animals Carry Rabies? All warm blooded animals carry the threat of rabies. Raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats are high-risk carriers, while dogs, cats and horses are common carriers. Rabies Stages In dogs and Other Animals Furious Rabies There are two main stages
of rabies in dogs. The first stage is called furious rabies. It is characterized
by the animal's altered disposition, loss of appetite or fever. An animal at
this stage may become restless and often will attack without provocation. As the
disease progresses, am animal will have difficulty swallowing and become hoarse.
In the final stage, the animal may drip saliva from its mouth, limbs will become
paralyzed, and the animal will loose consciousness and then die.
In dumb rabies, paralysis of the hindquarters may be the only observable sign of this disease. The animal may show nervousness. Dumb rabies moves through the body in three to four days, a much faster rate than furious rabies and is more difficult to recognize. Animals may go through both stages or only one, depending on species. |
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