Spring is here and soon our parks, green-spaces and even our backyards will be full of small fuzzy creatures.
Although it may be tempting to “rescue” baby wildlife, The Nevada Department of Wildlife says more often than not the best option is to leave them be.
NDOW put together the following list of tips for when you encounter young wildlife:
- Baby song birds - the most common issue the Nevada Department of Wildlife sees each year. If you find a song bird in your yard, check to see if they have feathers. If you have found a young bird with no feathers, attempt to locate the nest and place the bird back in the nest. If you cannot find the nest, you can construct an artificial one using a small box and place it in a safe, shaded area above ground. This provides the best chance of survival for that young bird. Its natural parents are sure to be much better caretakers than humans could be. This advice goes for birds of all varieties, including ducks, geese and owls. It is illegal for someone to attempt to rehabilitate any of these birds without a permit.
- Ducks and geese- After the ducklings or goslings have hatched, the family is tasked with finding its way back to water. Young waterfowl are covered in down and are very lightweight; they can withstand a fall from many stories and do not need you to remove them. The next hurdle, is getting to water, the mother knows where the nearest source of water is and does not need help getting there. They can travel extraordinary distances to get to water and may have to cross roads in the process. In this situation, it is more important that drivers on the road are safe; attempting to stop traffic for waterfowl could cause a car accident.
- Deer Fawns- often found in bushes by themselves and concerned citizens report them as “abandoned”. This is usually not the case. Female deer, called ‘does’, will leave their fawns for long periods of time hidden in the bushes. The spotted coat of a fawn allows it to camouflage well with sun spots in wooded areas. The fawn will lay perfectly still, waiting for its mother to return from feeding. Moreover, deer fawns are born with little to no scent, this means they are safe from predators, and humans touching them would leave behind a scent that could attract predators, so it is best to leave the area and do not touch the fawn.
Although walking away from an animal that may appear in need of help is difficult, it really is that animal’s best chance of survival. Just because you cannot see the mother does not mean she has abandoned the animal. It could be your presence that is keeping her away.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife contributed to this report.
