The PGC says to leave newborn wildlife wild

This doe dropped her pair of fawns in a homeowners back yard. Contributed photo

Around this time of year, young wildlife begin to appear be it in backyards, woodlands and mountainous areas. And according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, folks who encounter these wildlife may think that they are abandoned, but most time they are not as a watchful parent is nearby and most likely gathering food for them. And the wildlife could be a bird, deer fawn, opossum, gosling, squirrel, fox, raccoon or even a newborn bear cub that could be an especially dangerous situation as its foraging mother can charge you unexpectedly. 

“Well intentioned folks might step in to help a young animal or bird that appears to be alone, not realizing its mother is nearby and it’s not in need of help,” said Matthew Schnupp, PGC wildlife management director. “That’s one reason why leaving young wildlife alone in the wild.”

Schnupp goes on to say that adult animals often leave their young while they search for food, but they don’t go far and they do return. Wildlife often rely on a natural defensive tactic called the “hider strategy,” where young animals will remain motionless and “hide” in surrounding cover while adults draw the attention of potential predators or other intruders away from their young. 

Deer use this strategy as deer fawns sometimes are assumed to be abandoned, when in fact the mothers are nearby. Added to this, deer fawns have spots to better conceal them in the wild. 
Approach a Canada goose nest where the female is laying on eggs and the mother, or nearby father, or both, will charge an intruder. 

Schnupp advises that such contact can be harmful to both people and wildlife. Wild animals can lose their natural fear of humans, making it difficult, even impossible, for them to live normally ever again in the wild. And anytime wildlife is handled, there’s always a risk people could contract diseases or parasites such as fleas, ticks and lice. 

Wildlife that becomes habituated to humans also can pose a public safety risk. Schupp recalls that some years ago a yearling buck attacked and severely injured two people. An investigation revealed a neighboring family had illegally taken the deer into their home to feed it as a fawn. Then continued to feed the deer right up until the time of the attack. 

Bothering wildlife can also have other consequences since it’s illegal to take or possess wildlife from the wild. And under state law, the penalty for such a violation is a fine of up to $1,500 per animal. The law states that under no circumstances will anyone who illegally takes wildlife into captivity, be allowed to keep that animal and under a working agreement with state health officials, any “high risk’ rabies vector species confiscated after human contact must be euthanized and tested; none can be returned to the wild because the risk of spreading disease is too high. 

Folks need to know that animals infected with rabies might not show obvious symptoms, but still might be able to transmit the disease. Though any mammal might carry rabies, the rabies vector species identified in the agreement are skunks, raccoons, foxes, bats, coyotes and groundhogs. 

Schnupp warns that people can get rabies from the saliva of a rabid animal if they are bitten or scratched, of if saliva gets into the person’s eyes, mouth or a fresh wound. 

Only wildlife rehabilitators, who are licensed the PGC, are permitted to care for injured or orphaned wildlife, for the purposes of eventual release back into the wild. If you find such an animal, the PGC recommends contacting a wildlife rehabilitator on the Pennsylvania Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators website, www.pawr.com. If you have trouble finding that then contact the PGC by phone at 833-PGC-WILD or 833-PGC-HUNT. 
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