Wildlife Safety Reminder 

Wildlife can carry zoonotic diseases and should never be fed, chased, cornered, or handled. This includes bats, birds, raccoons, skunks, and other wild animals, even if they appear injured or dead.  

Wildlife occasionally enters buildings or other work areas. If this occurs: 

• Maintain a safe distance. 

• Do not attempt to capture or handle wildlife by hand. 

• Call Campus Safety Office (CSO), as the primary point of contact for any wildlife found in a building, including to report wildlife in distress, or other animal-related concerns on campus property. 

• CSO will coordinate the appropriate response.  

• Use the CSO non-emergency line (519) 824-4120 X 52245.  

• In emergencies, use X 2000, 519-840-5000 or the Safe Gryphon App 

Reporting Contact with Wildlife  

Never touch bats or other wildlife with your bare hands, even if the animal appears injured or dead. 

Immediately report any physical contact with a bat to your manager and the local public health unit [1]. Complete the UofG incident report [2] to document it.  

• Wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water (or hand sanitizer if soap is unavailable)  

• Report any contact with a bat promptly, even if there is no visible bite or scratch, as bat bites and scratches can be difficult to detect and rabies exposures require urgent assessment. 

If you are unsure how to respond to a wildlife encounter, contact your supervisor or manager before taking action.