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Baby wild animals who are alone may not need help
April 3, 2008
Baby wild animals who are alone may not need help
By LINDA LOMBARDI
For The Associated Press
It's human nature -- who can ignore a helpless baby? But if that baby is
a wild animal sitting in your backyard, the best way to help it probably is
to leave it alone, wildlife experts say.
Many well-intentioned people can do more harm than good by trying
to help baby animals that appear to be abandoned. In most cases, they
are not.
A mother rabbit, for example, may visit her nest just twice a day. A baby
bird on the ground may be perfectly fine. Cindy Reyes, hospital manager
at the California Wildlife Center in Calabasas, Calif., says baby birds learn
to fly from the ground -- which makes a lot more sense than taking the
first plunge from a nest high in a tree.
"If it's got all of its body feathers, maybe a little bit of fluff, but it's
completely covered with feathers, that's probably a fledgling bird," she
says. "The parents care for them on the ground."
However, a naked, featherless baby bird does need to be put back in the
nest. Don't let a common myth mislead you: It's not true that babies will
be rejected due to their smell once a human has touched them.
"Birds have a very poor sense of smell," says Kathleen Handley of the
Second Chance Wildlife Center of Gaithersburg, Md. And animals wouldn't
nest in our yards if they disliked human scent so much, she says.
You can use gloves, or scoop the bird into a container to move it. If you
can't find or reach the nest, Reyes suggests making a substitute of a
plastic container lined with soft fabric or tissues. You can attach it to a
tree; the birds will usually find it and care for the baby there, she says.
(Don't use a birdhouse -- the birds may not find the baby, and some
species don't nest in enclosed spaces.)
This may seem chancy, but it's more likely to help the animal survive in
the long run.
Wildlife rehabilitators can heal injuries, but they're no substitute for
animal parents because they can't teach babies how to be successful
members of their own species in the wild. And when people raise an
animal for a while and then decide to give it up, it often doesn't work,
she says.
"(The animals are) so bonded to humans that they can't be released,"
she says. "It's dangerous. They end up running up to people, and they
get frustrated, and they'll bite."
A dangerous animal may have to be euthanized.
It's also illegal to keep native species as pets in most places, and
many animals don't tolerate captivity well as adults.
More good reason to trust in nature: Rehabilitators' permits, typically
issued by various branches of government, don't allow them to keep
animals permanently, only to treat them and care for them until they
can be released back into their natural habitats.
And there aren't enough spaces in nature centers or zoos to place
even a small percentage -- Second Chance in Maryland takes in up to
5,000 animals in a single year.
So the right course in most cases is simply not to intervene when you
see a baby animal on its own. Hanging around may actually delay this
reunion.
"People have to leave," Reyes says. "They can't be standing over the
baby or the parent won't return -- even if it sees you standing at the
window."
There is an exception to the don't-interfere rule: When a baby is
clearly injured, with bleeding or a broken limb, it needs help. Don't
feed it. Instead, call a rehabilitator for advice, even before attempting
to move it.
Your local animal shelter can usually help you find an expert, or go to
the Web site of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, www.nwrawildlife.org/home.asp.
Generally, the best way to help wildlife is to make your yard a hospitable
place: Keep pet cats indoors, plant a wildlife habitat garden, and be
careful when you prune, since birds and squirrels could be nesting.
WHEN TO HELP
Most baby animals that appear to be lost are not; the parent is often
nearby. In most cases, humans should let the animal be and leave so
the parent will return. There are some exceptions. Here is a guide.
When in doubt, call a rehabilitator. Your local animal shelter can help
you find one, or check the Web site of the National Wildlife Rehabilitators
Association, www.nwrawildlife.org.
BABY RABBIT
Leave it alone if:
It's at least as big as a tennis ball and eating grass.
It's in a nest and the mother is caring for it. Check by placing a couple
of light twigs across the nest and coming back the next day to see if
they've been disturbed.
Call a rehabilitator if:
You've checked as above and the nest is abandoned.
The nest has been destroyed, such as by a dog.
BABY SQUIRREL
Leave it alone if:
The mother is attending to it. Baby squirrels can fall from trees and
be uninjured.
Call a rehabilitator if:
You saw it attacked by another animal.
It is following people around.
BABY BIRD
Leave it alone if:
It's mostly covered with feathers.
You see parents caring for it.
It's hard to catch; if it can get away from you it's probably healthy.
Call a rehabilitator if:
It is injured or was attacked by a cat.
It is sitting in the open asleep.
If you see no parents taking care of it after going away and giving them
a chance to return.
A BABY DEER
Leave it alone if:
It is lying quietly and is not being bothered by flies. The mother will leave
it alone while she grazes.
Call a rehabilitator if:
The baby is not moving to get flies off it; it may be ill or injured.
You know the mother is dead -- such as a fawn found beside a
dead adult.
NOTE: Do not attempt to approach a deer over about 15 pounds; both you
and the deer may be injured. Deer can kill an adult human!
In all cases, if an animal is obviously injured, with a broken limb or
bleeding, call a rehabilitator.
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