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Your wild neighbors

Humane World for Animals works with community leaders and animal care and control agencies to create Wild Neighbors communities, where humane and non-lethal solutions are given priority when addressing conflicts between people and wildlife. Learn more about the innovative and effective approaches you can take to solve any wild animal problems you encounter in your home, yard or garden. 

three bats hanging upside down
CraigRJD
iStock.com
Bats

Whether you want to get bats out of your house, scare them away, protect their habitats, or have questions about bats and diseases, we can help.

mother black bear and young cub in North Carolina forest
Anton Sorokin
Alamy Stock Photo
Black bears

Bird feeders, unsecured pet food, garbage, compost, containers for recycling, and grills may be bringing them to your back door.

Beaver in the water
blickwinkel
Alamy Stock Photo
Beavers

What to do about beavers and how to safely keep them away.

Californians feel strongly about protecting bobcats: nearly 70% are opposed to trophy hunting these beautiful native carnivores.
Photo by Elroy Limmer
Bobcats

Conflicts with these elusive, wild felines are rare and preventable. Learn how to protect your pets and humanely keep them from coming into your yard.

Chimney swift bird flying through the sky
Matthew Jolley
iStock.com
Chimney swifts

Safely get and keep birds like swifts out of chimneys.

Chipmunk outside, on bird feeder
Many factors play into wildlife population numbers, including the availability—or scarcity—of food.
Goddard_Photography
iStock.com
Chipmunks

Safely get rid of chipmunks from your house and keep them away.

mountain lion in the wild
Phil Gould
Alamy Stock Photo
Cougars

Taking simple precautions in cougar country can easily prevent dangerous conflicts, protect our pets, and help us live in harmony with majestic mountain lions.

Nathan Hobbs/iStock.com
Coyotes

How to humanely haze coyotes and keep them away from backyards and homesteads.

American crow sitting on a branch
mirceax
iStock.com
Crows

Crows can get in the trash and compost. These smart black birds are now common residents of cities and towns, but relocation is more effective and humane than poison.

Deer in winter
Robert Caplin
For the HSUS
Deer

Conflicts with deer are best solved by addressing their root causes. Here are steps that can be taken to humanely and effectively control deer populations where necessary.

Mother fox nursing several kits
Thomas D. Mangelsen
Foxes

Although foxes can be dangerous for small pets left outdoors, they're usually no cause for alarm. Here's what to do if you see one.

Family of canada geese
Rena-Marie
iStock.com
Geese

Killing geese is inhumane, ineffective and unnecessary. Learn better ways to keep flocks off your property or facility.

Baby woodchuck peeking out of den
kalimf
iStock.com
Groundhogs (Woodchucks)

Groundhogs are shy, timid creatures that may dine on garden vegetables or flowers. Fencing and humane harassment are the best ways to solve conflicts with woodchucks.

CreativeNature_nl/iStock.com stock
Mice

Many people keep mice as pets, but some wild visitors can be unwanted so learn how to deter mice and prevent their coming back with these humane tips.

Opossums are safe, nonthreatening creatures who are easy to get rid of gently
mtruchon
iStock.com
Opossum

Opossums are gentle neighbors, rarely dangerous, and often not even responsible for messes they get blamed for. Here's what to do if you have one in a crawlspace.

 

Pigeon on a metal fence
Jan Gottwald
iStock.com
Pigeons

When pigeon flocks grow too large and their poop becomes too much of a nuisance, use these humane methods to control their numbers.

Prairie dog in a field
Noelle Guernsey
The HSUS
Prairie dogs

As keystone members of the ecosystem, prairie dogs deserve protection and coexistence.

wild rabbits
Maurizio Bonora
iStock.com
Rabbits

Rabbits may eat our plants or crops in the garden, yet they are critical members of our ecosystem. Make sure they are the culprit and learn what you can do without hurting them.

Two raccoons on a sidewalk
lavin photography
iStock.com
Raccoons

Wondering what to do about raccoons? Conflicts with these intelligent animals can be prevented and resolved humanely.

The best way to get rid of rats is by making your home less attractive to them
Ed Maynard
iStock.com
Rats

Clever, curious rats can carry pathogens—but that doesn’t mean they deserve cruelty. Here’s how to get rid of rats in your home, yard or chicken coop.

Skunks digging
Christine Jensen
The HSUS
Skunks

Learn how to safely get rid of skunks and keep away from pets when they enter your yard or garage.

snake
Kativ
iStock.com
Snakes

Most snakes are not a threat to either people or pets, so identify the troublemakers to learn what to do if you find any in your yard or home and need to humanely remove them.

Sparrow on a fence post
Kathy Milani
The HSUS
Sparrows

Of all sparrows, the non-native house sparrow is most often in conflict with humans because the birds are so good at adapting to our buildings and nesting in crevices.

Squirrel eating from a bird feeder
Kathy Milani
The HSUS
Squirrels

Squirrels are smart and athletic, which might make them an annoyance. Here’s how to handle squirrel conflicts with kindness when they get in your house.

There are many solutions for humanely removing starlings, a bird that is invasive in the US
Hans Veth
Unsplash
Starlings

Starlings are cavity-nesting birds and will use attics, vents, and ducts in homes to build nests for their eggs and to raise their young.

Portrait of a wild turkey
Jason Doiy
iStock.com
Turkeys

Too many turkeys in your yard or garden? Find easy, effective and humane ways to move them along off your property.

Meredith Lee/Humane World for Animals

Create a haven for wildlife

A humane backyard is a natural habitat offering wildlife plenty of food, water and cover, plus a safe place to live free from pesticides, chemicals, free-roaming pets, inhumane practices and other threats. And it's so easy to build!

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Jean Chung/For Humane World for Animals