Every year around this time, PETA fields countless calls about possibly injured or orphaned animals who need help. Sometimes they do. But more often than not, the animal is OK. While the caller's intentions are admirable, human interference will do more harm than good.
Here's how to tell whether to intervene.
In most cases, young wildlife should be left alone. Resist the urge to "rescue" a wild animal unless you see an obvious injury such as a broken wing or leg, the animal has been caught by a cat, dog or other predator, he or she is trembling or acting weak and lethargic, a still-dependent baby's parent was killed nearby, or the animal is in immediate obvious danger in some other way. In these situations, call a wildlife rehabilitator to find out what to do and where to take the animal. PETA offers a state-by-state list at peta.org.
Many of the calls we receive are about birds. It is not true that birds will abandon their babies if a human has touched them. If you find a fallen nestling (a baby with fuzzy feathers or none at all), place him or her back in the nest.
Fledglings--birds who have most of their feathers and are out of the nest learning to fly--stay close to their parents and need to learn from them how to survive. If they are in imminent danger, they can be moved to a safer spot close by.
Many of us spot fawns in the spring. Most fawns who are alone have not been orphaned. Mother deer leave their babies in safe places while they find food, returning several times a day. Deer have an acute sense of smell and are alarmed when their babies carry a human's scent. Fawns should not be disturbed unless they show obvious signs of injury.
Similarly, mother rabbits tuck their babies into covered ground nests while they look for food, only returning a couple of times a day so as not to tip off predators. If you see a nest that has been disturbed, place the babies back in it and leave them there unless you are certain that the mother has been killed. Babies who are five inches long are old enough to be on their own.
Never try to care for wildlife yourself. Always leave it to the experts: the baby animals' parents or a licensed rehabilitator. Humans with the best of intentions can accidentally harm vulnerable wildlife. For that reason, many species--including nearly all birds--are protected by federal or state laws prohibiting unlicensed people from attempting to care for them.
Keep a rehabber's contact information handy, and pack a towel, gloves, a net and a carrier in the car as you set out to enjoy hikes and nature walks this spring.
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Kristin Rickman is the Emergency Response Team Manager for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Editorial on 05/28/2020