News Release

Wildlife rescues do more harm than good

March 20, 2008
Contact: Karen Parker, 386-758-0525

This is the time of year when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) receives calls about abandoned fawns and other animals that people believe may be in need of rescue.

However, the rescue could do more harm than good.

After giving birth, adult wildlife must forage to provide food for themselves and their young, leaving their newborns for short periods. Having some basic knowledge of wildlife and the survival skills animals employ can help avoid misdirected rescue attempts of animals that don’t require rescuing.

One of the most common targets of misplaced rescues is baby deer, temporarily left in a safe place while their mothers feed nearby. Many people who find young fawns mistakenly assume they have been abandoned, when in reality its parents are in the process of ensuring the infant’s survival.

“In most cases, it absolutely is not in the fawn’s best interest to try and rescue it,” said Allan Hallman, wildlife biologist at the FWC’s Camp Blanding Field Office.

What typically happens is that someone discovers a young deer waiting for the return of its mother, Hallman said. Often these discoveries are made in palmetto patches or in recently burned areas that are relatively bare, where a doe has placed her new offspring for protection. Such settings help depress the fawn’s scent, which provides good protection from the keen nose of a predator.

(Click on photo for larger image.)

A resident found this baby raccoon in the yard and brought it to the FWC's  Lake City office. The FWC believes the mother was probably moving her babies, and if this one, whose eyes had not yet opened, had been left alone, the mother would have returned.
FWC photo by Karen Parker

Someone brought this flying squirrel into the FWC office in Lake City after finding it on the ground.
FWC photo by Karen Parker

People discover these seemingly abandoned baby deer and become concerned when the parent is nowhere in sight. The would-be rescuer falsely believes the young animal will perish unless it is saved or taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center.

Unfortunately, actions of this kind usually have the opposite effect of a rescue.  The stress created by changing the baby animal’s diet and surroundings is often fatal. Should the rescued fawn somehow manage to survive the rescue, its return to the wild becomes impossible because of human imprinting or a lack of survival skills. Had it not been removed from the wild, the young deer would have learned the necessary survival skills from its mother.

If you find a fawn or other baby animal, the FWC recommends that you not touch it; but quietly leave the area. Touching the animal may cause the mother to reject it because it is contaminated with human scent.

On the other hand, songbirds have almost no sense of smell and can be returned to their nest without much chance of rejection. Young songbirds are a popular favorite of the would-be animal rescuer. Baby songbirds are commonly found on the ground at this time of year, looking a bit dazed or confused. The young bird may be trying to hide in tall grass or in low bushes to avoid being seen by predators. These young birds are going through a process called fledging.

During fledging, young birds learn to fly and fend for themselves. The immature bird may spend several days on the ground, during which the bird’s parents keep an eye out, feeding it and helping it learn needed survival skills.  You can help the bird's parents by keeping any pets that may harm the young birds indoors during the flight lessons.

“We encourage people to help these young birds by not interfering in this crucial learning process,” Hallman said.

Here are some important facts that can help determine if a baby bird needs rescuing. According to biologists, the only time a baby songbird should be rescued is when it is on the ground and has almost no feathers, when the bird is injured by pets or its tail is less than a half-inch long, and it cannot hop around on its own.

If you find a baby songbird that you are sure needs rescuing, several things will help ensure its survival.

• Place the baby bird in a tissue-lined box that has air holes in the top;

• Keep the box in a warm spot away from drafts and air conditioning and out of direct sunlight;

• It is imperative that you do not give the bird either food or water;

• After you have ensured the bird’s safety, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area. To find a rehabilitator contact the local FWC office, the humane society or a veterinarian. Some veterinarians work closely with wildlife rehabilitators and can be a good source of advice.

The FWC asks you to remember that removing an animal from the wild to save it may actually have the opposite effect. Seek advice from wildlife professionals before attempting to rescue any animal, and please remember, in most cases, it is better to leave wildlife in the wild.

For more information on Florida’s wildlife and what you can do to help, go to MyFWC.com/critters/wildlife.htm.

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