What do possums, turtles, and bats have in common? All three can be found at Re-Wilding Indiana, an operation officially launching after helping injured wildlife for decades.
The Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic of Indianapolis, located near 465 and Michigan Road, has been treating injured wildlife pro bono since the 80s.
In January 2025, the clinic partnered with Hancock Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation to form a full-time wildlife hospital. This allows Dr. Crystal Matt to work as a staff veterinarian for Re-Wilding Indiana.
"Re-Wilding is the first and only in the state of Indiana that has a staff veterinarian on site," Dr. Matt explained. "I can dedicate my time specifically to giving them the most attentive care that they deserve."
Wildlife native to Indiana are accepted here, from the mammals to the birds to the reptiles. Just make sure you are not bringing injured wildlife from another state.
"Legally, we can't have animals crossing state lines," Dr. Matt stated. "We will take them from anywhere in the state of Indiana, and it is a free service."
This non-profit organization operates from donations and occasional grants.
"There is actually no government funding for wildlife rehabilitation in any state in the country," Dr. Matt continued.
In the winter, Dr. Matt says that bats are some of the more commonly injured animals.
"Bats hibernate over winter, usually, ideally in some cave somewhere," she continued. "Sometimes, unfortunately, in somebody's attic or we see them a lot in churches."
When bats wake up from human disturbances, many times they will get injured by a dog or cat.
"Once they're on the ground, they can't get up anymore. They can't fly," Dr. Matt said. "We get broken wings, we get torn wing membranes."
The second most common wildlife injury in winter is impact with cars.
In the spring, Dr. Matt explained that they will see an uptick in receiving baby animals. Many times, mothers will return to their baby animals, and these seemingly abandoned animals do not need to be brought to the clinic.
"We have resources to help guide you of, 'does this animal need to be rescued at all?'" said Dr. Matt. "Sometimes they don't, and you can do more harm than good."
But the good that Dr. Matt sees — where people will deliver injured animals to the clinic — is what brings her joy.
"It's really sweet to see how much people care," she smiled. "It really gives you a great sense of the community when someone finds an animal injured, and their first thought is, 'How can I help? I want to help it.'"
After wild animals are treated at the hospital for their injury, they will go to a rehabilitator to make sure animals have the skills needed before being reintroduced to the wild.
You can read the guides about what to do when you find an injured animal by clicking here.
You can read more about Re-Wilding Indiana by clicking here.
While Re-Wilding Indiana will accept animals from anywhere in Indiana, if you are looking for a permitted wildlife rehabilitator closer to where you live, you can find a full list, sorted by county, on the Indiana DNR website.
