Mon – Fri: 8:30 – 4:00
Closed from 12–1pm

(609) 883-2900 
2 Jake Garzio Drive
Ewing, NJ 08628

Wildlife

Photo credit: This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

Help Keep Animals Wild

Do not feed...
Do not encourage wildlife by feeding or leaving food for them.  Human food is not healthy for them.  Wild animals have specialized diets, and they can become malnourished or die if fed the wrong foods. Check the US. Department of Agriculture site for more information
Human-wildlife interactions have increasingly become an issue as habitat loss from modern urban sprawl increases. As we encroach on the once pristine wild areas that had been home to various forms of wildlife, we find ourselves sharing our neighborhoods with them. Ewing's natural areas and neighborhoods are abundant in native wildlife such as fox, coyotes, raccoons, hawks, deer, Canadian geese, groundhogs, rabbits, opossum, snakes and even the occasional bear.   They all have a role to play and make significant ecosystem contributions.   For example:
  • The opossum is a veritable tick vacuum. A single opossum might eat an astonishing 5,000 ticks in a week.
  • Squirrels play a huge role in forest regeneration due to their food storage habits.
  •  A single little brown bat can consume up to 3,000 mosquito sized in a single night. 
  • The fox is a predator of small rodents such mice and rabbits.

 So you are encouraged to care... and share!  Help keep them wild!

Rabies

Rabies can be a serious threat and bites from animals that are not rabid can also be painful. Stray animals roaming your neighborhood can pose a real danger as they are probably unvaccinated. One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from rabies is to vaccinate your pets and avoid contact with wild animals. Do not feed or handle them even if they seem friendly.

If you see a wild animal acting strangely, report it to animal control. Small mammals are also carriers of the deer ticks that cause Lyme disease. If anyone comes across any wildlife that appears ill, do not try to handle it, but rather call Animal Control at (609) 883-2900 ext. 7175 or the Police Department after hours.

 

Wildlife
FACTSHEETS

Are there Coyotes in Ewing?  ETAC1

Born To Be Wild  NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife  (Young wildlife FAQs)

Canada Goose - NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife

Coexisting With Deer - Mercer County Wildlife Center

I Saw a Fox In My Yard   ETAC

Know the Bear Facts: Living with Black Bears in NJ    NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife

Let's Talk About Bats  ETAC

Living with Vultures in Ewing  ETAC

What to Know If You Find a Fawn ETAC    

Feeding of Wild White-tailed Deer - NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife

TNR - Trap- Neuter - Release Program for Feral Cats - Easel NJ.

1. Ewing Township Animal Control

Exotic Pets

Protect yourself and the environment. Wild and exotic animals should not be kept as pets. Some of these pets, if released into the environment, can cause irreversible and costly damage to our ecosystems. People often get these animals when they are small and then have few options when the animals grow too large or dangerous to handle. They may carry diseases and parasites that can be transmitted to humans. 

The Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades provide a sobering example of the incalculable damage to our native ecoystems due to release of exotic pets.