Found a wild animal in trouble?
A baby bird on the ground, an injured hedgehog, a tortoise on the road, a bird of prey that can't fly: in the Itria Valley countryside it happens often. Here's how to help, and when it's better to leave the animal alone.
What to do, step by step
- Watch before you touchIt doesn't always need help: see below for the cases where it's best left where it is.
- Protect yourselfEven a small animal can peck, scratch or bite when it's frightened. Wear gloves or pick it up wrapped in a towel, with a light touch.
- Darkness and quietDarkness calms it. A box just a little bigger than the animal, pierced for air, is the best place: keep it away from dogs, cats and commotion.
- Don't feed itNo food, no water, no medicines: a weak animal can choke, and every species needs different care.
- Call the rescue centreThey'll tell you what to do and where to take it. The numbers are below.
When it's best not to step in
Feathered baby birds
In spring and early summer, young birds with feathers hopping on the ground are often learning to fly, and their parents keep feeding them. Leave them where they are and keep dogs and cats away. Help only if the bird has no feathers, is injured or in danger.
Land tortoises
If you find one on the road, move it to the side in the direction it was heading. Don't take it home: Hermann's tortoise is a protected species.
Hedgehogs
A hedgehog walking around at night is normal. If it's out during the day, staggering, injured or surrounded by flies, it needs help.
Which freshwater turtle have you found?
Two very different water turtles can live in the canals and ponds near the coast. The head is the quickest way to tell them apart.
European pond turtle
This is our native turtle: a dark, low shell, often dotted with yellow, and no coloured patch on the head. Around Brindisi it lives in only a few wetlands, such as the Torre Guaceto reserve. It is rare and protected by the EU Habitats Directive. If it is injured or in danger, call the rescue centre. If it is fine and crossing a road, move it to the side it was heading for: in spring the females leave the water to lay their eggs on land.
American slider (Trachemys)
It has a red or yellow patch behind each eye and yellow stripes on the neck. For years it was sold as a pet and many were abandoned: in the wild it is now an invasive species that takes food and space away from the native turtle. It must not be released into a pond or kept at home (Italian Legislative Decree 230/2017): call the rescue centre and ask where to hand it in.
By Italian law, wildlife belongs to the State (law 157/1992). It can't be kept at home or treated on your own: it must be handed over to authorised centres.
Contact details checked in November 2026 on the websites of the Puglia Region (Regional Wildlife Observatory), the Province of Brindisi and LIPU: they may change. If you're unsure what to do, you can also call the clinic for initial advice.