Wildlife relocation, meaning trapping an animal and letting it go somewhere else, is mostly off the table for New Yorkers. The New York State DEC says it’s illegal for you to move or relocate an animal off your property, and that relocation has to be handled by a licensed professional. In New York City, the city’s WildlifeNYC program says the law requires licensed trappers to humanely euthanize raccoons they trap.
So if you bought a live trap planning to drive the animal to a park, that plan doesn’t work here. DEC also warns that relocation can move diseases like rabies or Lyme and causes the animal unnecessary stress.
Can I relocate an animal I trapped?
Not off your property. DEC’s rules say you can’t release a live-trapped animal in a park or on state land, and that relocation is a job for a licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator. Whether you can trap the animal at all depends on what it is. Chipmunks, red squirrels, rats and mice need no permit. Raccoons, opossums and gray squirrels can only be taken when they’re damaging property; otherwise you need a DEC permit.
What happens to a trapped raccoon in NYC?
WildlifeNYC says licensed trappers must humanely euthanize a trapped raccoon, and may not release raccoons into parks or onto other public property. Raccoons are also the animal most often reported rabid in New York City, according to NYC Health.
Why does relocation usually fail?
- Babies get left behind. Wild animal babies are often orphaned by trapping and too often die of starvation, says Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States).
- The new place belongs to someone else. A moved animal lands in another animal’s territory and may be chased out or attacked, Humane World says. Purdue Extension adds that deaths after release are often high, mostly from predators, and that moved animals rarely stay where they’re let go.
- Most don’t make it. In one study cited by Humane World, 97% of relocated gray squirrels died or disappeared from where they were released.
- It doesn’t fix the problem. The opening the animal used is still there for the next one.
What works instead of relocation?
Getting the animal to leave on its own, then sealing the way in. Humane World suggests patience when an animal isn’t causing harm, and gentle harassment with light, sound and smells to get it to move. Before sealing, make sure every animal is out. One simple test: stuff the entrance loosely with newspaper. If it stays untouched for three to four days, outside the dead of winter, the den is likely empty.
Timing matters too. From March to August, Humane World advises assuming any animal denning near a home is a mother with babies.
Who do I call in NYC?
The city doesn’t trap healthy wildlife. According to NYC 311, Animal Care Centers only capture a wild animal that seems rabid or has bitten a person or pet. For a healthy animal that’s a nuisance, 311 points you to a licensed nuisance wildlife control operator. If a wild animal bites someone, wash the wound and report it to 311, NYC Health says.
Here’s a simple example
Say a raccoon moves in under the porch of a Queens house in May. The owner’s first idea is a trap and a drive to the nearest park. That’s illegal under DEC’s rules, and in May there’s a good chance kits are under the porch too. WildlifeNYC says kits leave the den with their mother at 8 to 12 weeks. The better order is to wait for the family to move out or have a professional get them out together, then close the gap with metal so the next raccoon can’t use it.
Here’s the trade-off. Waiting out a family or using a one-way door takes days to weeks, while a trap can catch an animal overnight. But a trapped animal you can’t legally move leaves you right where you started.
How NYC Extermination handles it
We start with a free on-site inspection to find the animal, how it’s getting in and whether there are young. Then we remove it humanely, watch our traps with cameras so no animal is left waiting, handle it the way New York State rules require, and seal the openings so the next one can’t follow.
See our wildlife removal service, our guide to wildlife trapping laws, or call (347) 988-2315.
Frequently asked questions
Can I let a trapped animal go in a park?
No. DEC’s rules say you can’t release a live-trapped animal in a park or on state land, or move it off your property at all. Relocation has to be handled by a licensed professional.
Will the city take a wild animal away for me?
Only if it seems sick or rabid, or has bitten a person or pet. For a healthy animal that’s a nuisance, 311 points New Yorkers to licensed nuisance wildlife control operators.
Is it cruel to relocate wildlife?
It often ends badly. Moved animals land in unfamiliar territory, may be attacked by animals already living there, and can leave behind babies that won’t survive alone. In one study, 97% of relocated gray squirrels died or disappeared.
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