The kindest response people can show toward fawns, bear cubs and baby birds could be categorized as benign neglect, says a Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman.
Stay at a distance, enjoy the moment and move on, Joe Lewandowski said Tuesday. Don’t try to manage or improve their lot.
“Wild animals have been getting along on their own for thousands of years,” Lewandowski said. “They do very well when left alone.”
Every year at this time, wildlife officials get calls from people who find newborn wildlife in their yards, along trails or in open spaces. People shouldn’t touch them, move them, feed them, adopt them or try to transport them to a veterinarian or his own agency, Lewandowski said.
Consider deer, one of the species that people will most frequently encounter.
“A doe will go off to feed, leaving her fawn or fawns for a time,” Lewandowski said. “The young have no scent as protection against predators, they’re camouflaged and will remain where they’re left until the mother returns.
“The doe hasn’t abandoned the fawns,” Lewandowski said. “Nature takes care of its own.”
If people touch a fawn they leave a scent.
“Baby mammals are nearly scentless in order to prevent predators from finding them,” Janet George, senior terrestrial biologist for Parks and Wildlife, said in a news release. “When humans touch these animals, they are imparting them with a scent their adults will not recognize or even fear. This can result in true abandonment of healthy offspring.”
People are less likely to see elk calves because they tend to remain at higher elevations, Lewandowski said. But the same rules of nonengagement apply, he said.
Baby birds may fall out of the nest or be on the ground while fledging, Lewandowski said. It’s all part of growing up.
Songbirds can be moved off a trail or placed in a nest, Lewandowski said. But don’t try the same with raptors.
Picking up young wildlife disorients the mother, and trying to feed them deprives the young of learning to fend for themselves, Lewandowski said. It’s a virtual death sentence.
Anyone who sees “abandoned” young wildlife or an animal in distress can call Colorado Parks and Wildlife at 247-0855, Lewandowski said.
Lewandowski urged people to give baby animals a chance to reach adulthood. Don’t let pets run loose, and don’t take others to see a baby animal because it puts stress on the baby.
Handling wildlife also can present problems for people and pets, Lewandowski said. Wild animals carry fleas, and they can transmit rabies and distemper.
As for bear cubs, which remain with the sow for more than a year and quickly learn to raid urban areas for food, Lewandowski recommended getting a bear-proof garbage can. Also, keep pet food and bird feeders out of the reach of bears; clean barbecue grills after use; pick ripe fruit; close garage doors and downstairs windows; and secure chicken coops and compost piles.
daler@durangoherald.com
On the Net
If you have a question about what to do with abandoned wildlife, call Colorado Parks and Wildlife at 247-0855.
For more information about living with wildlife, visit http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/LivingWithWildlife/Pages/LivingWith.aspx.
