Wildlife 'rarely needs our help’ Letter to the editor

Spring is upon us once again. It is the time of year that wildlife rehabilitators phones begin to ring off the hook.

With the beautiful weather, more people are out and about in their yards and parks then at any other time of the year. During your travels many of you will come across wild baby animals and fledged birds (babies with feathers who can hop on the ground) that appear to be abandoned and wonder what you should do.

They look so helpless that they bring out our compassionate nature to want to help them. Most baby animals and birds are not abandoned, their parents are usually hiding nearby. The parents will not come out of cover if humans are near, instinct tells them it would put their young in immediate danger with a predator.

This period of time in a baby animals life is the most crucial, it’s their time for education. They rarely need our help.

When we intervene, only thinking we are helping, we lessen their chances of making it to adulthood. Baby animals belong in the wild with their parents who best know how to teach them to survive on their own, not with a human.

Please try not to interfere unless you know for sure that the parents are dead or have another reason to believe that the baby is abandoned.

If you are worried about your cat or dog hurting the baby, see if you can keep your pets away for a few days.

If you want to read more about what babies may need rescuing go to: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6956.html .

If you need a rehabilitator go to: www.nyswrc.org/counties.htm

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for helping to keep our precious wildlife wild and free as they are meant to be.