IDAHO – Baby wildlife is always an incredible sight, whether it’s ducks, deer, goats, or anything else. But if you choose to pick up a baby animal, even if it looks like it might be in distress, there’s a good chance you’d be doing a lot more harm than good.
Idaho Fish & Game released a statement reminding folks to simply look at baby animals, even if they look like they might need some help. Animal parents often leave their babies behind while searching for food, rest, or a whole host of other reasons. This goes for birds too, even if they appear to have fallen out of their nest. If you really think an animal needs help, baby or adult, you should leave it be and contact Fish and Game (or Parks and Wildlife, or whatever organization exists in your state).
According to the Humane Society of the United States, and animal might need help if it’s been brought to you by your cat or dog, if it’s shivering, if there’s a dead parent nearby, if it’s crying and wandering all day long, if featherless or nearly featherless on the ground (in the case of birds), or if it shows signs of bleeding. In any of these cases, though, you should never attempt to help the animal yourself. Contact a local fish and wildlife office and ask for their help.
Idaho Fish & Game On Leaving Baby Wildlife Alone:
“Every spring, Fish and Game receives calls from well-intentioned humans who claim to have “rescued” baby animals that they assume were lost, abandoned, or orphaned. While these folks typically mean well, the sad reality is they are often doing more damage than good when they intervene—and typically, mom was not far away to begin with.
Here’s the hard truth. Animal parents will periodically leave their young for an extended period of time for a myriad of reasons, whether it’s to search for food, to rest, or to divert attention from their vulnerable offspring, especially if they sense danger. When it comes to wildlife babies, wildlife mothers know best.
Mammals such as deer, elk, and pronghorn routinely leave their young in a secure location like a clump of sagebrush like in the photo below. It is normal for them to leave to feed and return later—sometimes several hours later—to quickly feed their young, then leave again. The young animals know instinctively to remain still and wait for their parent to return.“