Wildlife Rescue
You found an injured small wild mammal
Macau's small wild mammals (squirrels, civets, porcupines, shrews)
Small wild mammals that let you get close are usually injured, orphaned or ill. Handle them as little as possible, because many can bite hard and some carry disease, so the safest help is to contain them gently and call for professional care rather than nurse them yourself.
What to do
- Watch first, as a young animal nearby may still have a parent and healthy adults will flee, so only step in for one that is clearly hurt or cannot get away.
- Protect your hands with thick gloves or a folded towel before any contact.
- Gently cover the animal with a towel and ease it into a ventilated box lined with soft cloth.
- Keep the box warm, dark and quiet, away from people, pets and noise.
- Do not offer food or water, as the wrong diet does harm and stress alone can be fatal.
- Call IAM or Royal Veterinary Centre for advice before doing anything further.
What NOT to do
- ×Do not handle it with bare hands, as many small mammals bite and some carry disease.
- ×Do not feed it, give water, or offer milk.
- ×Do not keep it as a pet or try to raise a baby yourself.
- ×Do not corner a healthy adult that is simply trying to escape.
When to step in
Intervene only for an animal that is visibly injured, bleeding, cold and limp, caught by a pet, or a genuinely orphaned baby whose parent has not returned. A healthy adult that runs off should be left alone.
See a vet urgently if...
- !Bleeding, an obvious wound, or a limb it cannot use
- !Cold, limp, unresponsive, or covered in flies or maggots
- !Caught by a cat or dog, as those bite wounds get infected fast
- !Circling, staggering, or unusually tame or aggressive behaviour, which can signal illness
Who to call
IAM (Municipal Affairs Bureau) handles Macau's wildlife, Civic Service Hotline (853) 2833 7676. Royal Veterinary Centre can stabilise or advise on injured small mammals 24/7 at +853 6677 6611. If anyone is bitten or scratched, wash the wound well and seek medical advice about rabies risk.
Legal note
Native small mammals are protected wildlife, so keeping them is generally illegal in Macau, and rehabilitation must go through IAM and trained carers.
In Macau
The wooded Coloane hills are home to small mammals such as Pallas's squirrels, masked palm civets and porcupines, which sometimes turn up injured near roads or trails at the edge of town.
Masked palm civets are shy, mostly nocturnal residents of Macau's green hills, and are far more often heard rustling in the dark than actually seen.
Related care sheets
General guidance reviewed by the Royal Veterinary Center team. Not a substitute for a veterinary examination. Always confirm species-specific and legal requirements for Macau.