It isn’t uncommon to see birds, ground or tree squirrels, rabbits, or woodchucks out and about during the day. However, since many species of wildlife are nocturnal (active at night), seeing one of these animals during the day can make people wonder if the animal is sick. In most cases, the answer is no. Typically, seeing wildlife during the day is normal and isn’t anything to be worried about.
There are lots of reasons why typically nocturnal animals like coyotes, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and foxes are sometimes seen during the day. During the winter, animals need plenty of energy to stay alive. The animal may just need to do some extra hunting or scouting for food. During the late summer and early fall, many wildlife parents take their young out to show them where to forage or how to hunt. And in the fall, young animals leave their parents and start looking for their own territories. So you may see them scoping out the neighborhood for a new place to live.
Most of the time, wildlife try to stay away from people. But if they have young in a nest or den nearby, they may aggressively guard the area. Keep people and pets away from the nest or den site.
As long as the animal isn’t causing any damage, just let it go about its business. However, if the animal shows obvious signs of being sick or injured (such as walking in circles, not being able to move, etc.), then you may need to get help. Don’t try to handle the animal yourself. Contact your local animal control office or a wildlife rehabilitator.
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