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Wildlife Incident Reporting

Wildlife Incident Reporting

The Jekyll Island Authority is committed to preserving and protecting Jekyll Island’s diverse wildlife. With the collaboration of the Jekyll Island Authority and the public’s vigilance, we can create a harmonious environment where wildlife thrives, and residents and visitors alike can enjoy the immense beauty of Jekyll Island. To facilitate this mission, we have established the Wildlife Incident Reporting System. This system serves multiple essential purposes:

  1. Assisting the public by addressing inquiries about wildlife on Jekyll Island.

  2. Providing information and technical support for wildlife-related situations and concerns.

  3. Responding to situations in which priority wildlife are in immediate danger or any situations that pose an immediate risk to human health and safety.

Report an Incident on Jekyll Island

To report a wildlife incident on Jekyll Island, submit a report online. Messages are monitored daily, from sunrise to sunset. For emergencies, call 911.

Submit Online

Complete an incident report online to ensure all relevant information is provided.

Alternatively, you can call or text 912-222-5992 to leave a message. 

Important Sightings

As part of ongoing conservation efforts, there are several key species that should be reported whenever spotted on Jekyll Island.

  • Rattlesnakes, a priority native species for research
  • Feral Hogs, a priority invasive species
  • Coyotes, a priority invasive species

Frequently Asked Questions

In-person responses are limited to situations centered around the Jekyll Island Authority’s Conservation initiatives: conservation, preservation, and management of Jekyll Island’s natural resources and /processes. Inperson response is also reserved for human-wildlife interactions that pose an immediate risk to human health and safety. If an in-person response is deemed necessary, we will triage the speed of response based on staff/resource availability and urgency of the situation. 

Please provide a detailed message explaining why the animal appears sick or injured. If it is safe to do so, send any relevant photos. We will assess the situation and determine if further action is required by our staff. Under no circumstances should you attempt to move, feed, or provide water to any animal you believe is sick or injured. Do not wait with the animal as this can cause them unnecessary stress. No further action is required following your report.  

No, you do not need to wait for a response or call back. Wildlife professionals will receive your report and determine if any additional action is necessary. Please leave a detailed report with all relevant information about the situation. If we have any further questions, we will contact you.

No, the Wildlife Incident Reporting System is a message-based system. All forms, voice messages, or text messages are monitored at the same rate and evaluated during daylight hours from sunrise to sunset. While you can call the voicemail system, filling out the digital form above is preferred as it ensures all pertinent information is received by our wildlife professionals. 

Most reports do not require further communication. If a staff member deems it necessary, you may receive a call requesting more details, so leave a good call back number. Once a message has been sent, no further action is required. 

You can make a report 24/7, 365 days a year. However, note that reports are only checked from sunrise to sunset. If you call after sunset, your message will be reviewed the following morning. 

Yes. We receive both voice and text messages and can receive photos and videos as well. 

Yes, other than bird feeders, feeding wildlife is illegal on Jekyll. Feeding wildlife can habituate animals to people. Habituated animals can lead to human/wildlife interactions that can pose serious risks to human health and safety and may result in lethal removal of the animal to protect our residents and visitors. Subsequently, we ask that you call *GSP (or 911 if the animal being fed is an alligator) and report the feeding to Georgia State Patrol. 

No hunting of any type is allowed on Jekyll.

Seeing these animals out during the day is common and is not confirmation of illness. Rabies is a neurologic disease, and symptoms include staggering, uncoordinated patterns of movement, dragging hind limbs, foaming discharge from mouth, obliviousness to noise or nearby movement, wet/matted hair on face, and repeated vocalization. Note that Possum’s are immune to rabies. 

Only fishing in coastal waters is legal. No freshwater fishing is allowed. 

If someone is placing people or animals in immediate danger, including deliberately feeding alligators, please hang up and dial 911 immediately to report this illegal activity. If the situation is related to Jekyll Island ordinances and is not placing people or animals in immediate danger, please leave a message and/or call Georgia State Patrol’s non-emergency number by dialing *GSP. 

A fawn alone in a back yard is very normal on Jekyll Island. Does (i.e., female deer) will regularly stash fawns away in areas that they feel are safe places while they temporarily leave to forage. Neighborhoods with human activity are a great place to leave them safe from predators while the Doe forages. Does will return to their fawn later. Please give the Doe 8-12 hours to return before calling about an abandoned fawn. 

Armadillos are regularly seen on Jekyll and throughout the Southeastern US. You do not need to report Armadillo sightings but please report if any animal is causing damage to the structural integrity of your property. 

We do not respond to general house pests such as insects or rodents, please call a professional pest removal company to help with any infestation issues with these animals. Also, please note that rodenticides kill more than just rodents and can harm or kill our native wildlife too! Furthermore, because poisoned rodents can be eaten by our native wildlife, poison can spread throughout the food web, harming or killing many non-target species.  

Report a Wildlife Incident on Jekyll Island