FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The Fort Leonard Wood Conservation Law Enforcement Section often receives calls this time of year about abandoned baby animals and injured animals.
People want to know what to do with the animal, what to feed it and whether or not someone will come pick up the animal — some want to know if they can keep the wildlife.
The best practice is to leave it alone or just place the animal back where it was originally found — it is not legal to possess and/or raise any species of wild animal in captivity unless properly permitted.
Many times, a baby animal is not lost or abandoned, but placed there by the parent or parents to keep it hidden from predators while the parents are not far off feeding or collecting food for the youngster. Below is some information on wildlife you may encounter during early spring here.
Songbirds
Knowing the difference between a nestling and a fledgling can help you make the right decision if you see a young bird on the ground. Nestlings don’t have their feathers yet and can’t survive outside of their nest for long. If you find a nestling on the ground, return it to the nest as quickly as possible. Fledglings have their feathers and can walk, hop or fly short distances; they might appear helpless, but have already left the nest and are being cared for by the parents, who fend off would-be predators and provide food until it has mastered the art of flying. It is best to let the parents protect their baby and let nature run its course.
Fawns
You may find a fawn deer lying in a grassy meadow by itself. This does not mean it has been abandoned. Its parent may have just lured predators away or are simply feeding nearby. You can rest assured that the doe is not far away and keeping a good eye on the fawn. Newborn deer also spend nearly all their time hiding for the first few weeks of their life. After nursing, the doe gives a signal and her fawns instinctively split up to find a quiet place to lay down and stay put. They will usually stay curled up for several hours while the doe ventures away to feed. Fawns rely on a dappled coat and no scent, which make it difficult for predators to find them. If you come across a spotted fawn, please do not assume that it has been abandoned or is lost. The best practice is to leave the area quietly. If the fawn is hindering training, call 573.596.5002 and let us relocate the fawn.
Rabbits
Newborn rabbits — like baby cats, they’re called kittens, or kits, for short — spend their first few weeks hiding in plain sight, in shallow holes tucked among clumps of thick grass, under shrubs or in the middle of open lawns. Rabbit nests can be hard to spot, often resembling a small patch of dead grass. Female rabbits actively avoid their nests, only visiting once or twice a day for a few minutes, to avoid attracting the attention of hungry predators. We hear from concerned people every spring who say they’ve found an abandoned nest of bunnies, when in fact the kits are just fine and quietly waiting for the doe to return. If they appear to be healthy and unharmed, the best thing you can do is to cover up the nest and walk away. The mother won’t return until well after you have left the area.
Wild animals are meant to be wild. Attempting to help or handle wild animals comes with serious risks.
Handling wild animals can lead to the transmission of zoonotic diseases (diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans), such as rabies, Lyme disease and tuberculosis. Additionally, handling wild animals can lead to injury from or to the animal someone is attempting to help.
Young animals may also become dependent upon their human captors and, if released back into the wild, can lack the necessary skills to survive in the wild.
Most people have the very best intentions when they find wild animals. What people often fail to realize is that attempting to intervene often ends up doing more harm. Enjoy wildlife but leave animals to their natural world, not only for the animal’s wellbeing, but for human safety.
Allow wild animals to live the way they were meant to live — wild and free.
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