Wildlife Is Meant to Be Wild - Helping Without Hurting

Spring is finally here! The grass has returned to its emerald green color, daffodils are blooming, and the buds on trees are falling away to unveil their leaves. Spring is also the time of year when wildlife reproduction is at its highest.

Every year, well-meaning individuals happen to come upon or find what they believe is to be an orphaned bunny, fawn, chick, duckling, turtle, or other wildlife young. There are also those of us who take a young animal out of the wild because they want their children or grandchildren to have a "learning" experience, or they want to share it with the neighborhood or classroom. Whatever the reasons are, in most situations, the animal should be left alone. The only exception should be if the animal is clearly in danger of being injured or killed; e.g., if your cat is about to pounce on a baby bird--grab the cat!

Nature has several ways of protecting its young. Many animals blend in with their surroundings and are well camouflaged as they hide from possible danger. Other animals, such as very young fawns, have no scent that could attract predators. For example, a mother deer, called a doe, will leave her fawn hidden in long grass, shrubs, etc. while she looks for food, and the fawn will remain perfectly still and quiet until mom returns. Someone may find this fawn and think that it is an orphan; out of concern, they will take it with them--actually doing more harm than good! Stress can also cause problems for animals, so if you notice a fawn hidden someplace, please resist the urge to call over other people for show and tell--just keep it your little secret and know that you have helped a wild animal survive.

We often get phone calls from people who have discovered a bunny or several bunnies that they think have been abandoned. Mother rabbits, also called does, may leave their young for long periods of time, only occasionally returning to nurse. As with the deer, the important thing to remember holds true of all wildlife and their young--unless it is known for sure that the mother is dead or injured, it is best to leave the babies alone.

Other calls we frequently receive are from people that have found a baby bird on the ground and do not know what to do. If the bird is able to move on its own and is fully feathered, it may be a fledgling that is trying to leave the nest. If it is very small, does not have full feathers, and is extremely helpless, then it might have fallen out of the nest or might have been pushed out by a nest mate. In this instance, if you can safely reach the nest without causing harm to yourself, carefully put the chick back into the nest and leave it. for birds such as robins, blue jays, etc., you can return the chick to the nest without worrying about your scent causing a problem. An interesting note, the Turkey Vulture is the only bird in North America with a strong sense of smell!

The wonderful thing about wildlife is that is wild! Yet, that does not stop us from wanting to get closer to it, or learn more about it, or even help it out a little--it is human nature. As much as it might hurt our feelings, remember that in most instances, wildlife is better off without our help. However, if you see an animal that really needs help, is in danger, or you are not sure of a situation, please do not hesitate to give the Park a call at 676-0998. Thanks for being a partner with us in the proper care of all wild things!