Florida wildlife officials are warning people not to try and rescue or feed young animals that appear to be abandoned.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the agency begins to get calls this time of year about animals that people believe may be in need of rescue.
In a recent blog post, FWC explained rescues may do more harm than good. They are aiming to educate people about basic wildlife and survival skills.
Adult wildlife often leave their young alone for short periods while they search for food.
Baby deer are common targets of mistaken rescues because they are left in a safe place while their mothers feed nearby, FWC said.
“In most cases, it is absolutely not in a fawn’s best interest to ‘rescue’ it,” said Allan Hallman, wildlife biologist at the FWC’s Camp Blanding Field Office.
Hallman said mother deer often leave fawns in palmetto patches or recently burned areas because those settings tend to help mask the fawn’s scent.
When people see the seemingly abandoned baby deer they often take them to a wildlife rehabilitation center.
“Unfortunately, actions of this kind usually have the opposite effect of a rescue,” Hallman said.
Hallman said stress created by changing the animal’s diet and surroundings is often fatal.
“Its return to the wild is practically impossible because of human imprinting or a lack of survival skills. If it had remained wild, the young deer would have learned the necessary survival skills from its mother,” Hallman said.
FWC is also urging people to avoid feeding young animals.
Feeding can cause poor nutrition and dependence on humans for food. It can also cause animals to lose foraging skills.
“These animals have survived for a long time without our assistance. They can continue to survive without handouts,” Hallman said.
FWC recommends that if you find a fawn or other baby animal, don’t touch it and quietly leave the area.
Squad goals! Have a great day everyone :) More baby pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHsjEXtcDw FWC photo by Tim Donovan
Posted by MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife on Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Juvenile birds are another common target of mistaken rescues.
People find them on the ground at this time of year as they learn to fly.
It may spend several days before they learn their flight skills, FWC said.
“While on the ground, juvenile birds’ parents continue to watch over them, feeding them and helping them learn necessary survival skills. Help the parents by keeping any pets that may harm the young birds indoors during the spring and summer,” Hallman said. “Please don’t interfere in this crucial learning process.”
To read more about birds and signs that they may need rescue, read the FWC blog post.
“Remember that in most cases, it’s better to leave wildlife wild,” Hallman said.
For more information on Florida’s wildlife and what you can do to help, go to MyFWC.com/Conservation and select “How You Can Conserve” and then “Wildlife Assistance – Injured or Nuisance Wildlife.”
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