Every spring and summer, wildlife agencies across the country are deluged with calls from well-meaning individuals who have picked up what they think are “orphaned” wild animal babies. The best way to help young wildlife is to “not help them at all,” according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
Many species of wild animals leave their young in a protected area while the adults go off to feed and drink. Unless the adults have died, the young are not orphaned or abandoned at all. If humans pick up an animal, it may be rejected by the parent due to the human scent left on the baby. In addition, it is a violation of state law to take animals from the wild and keep them in captivity in Tennessee.
If a baby bird is found outside of the nest, concerned individuals may return it to the nest. Many times, baby birds jump or fall from the nest before being able to fly. In most cases, the parents will care for the baby on the ground until it can fly.
Although it may seem cruel, in nature the most hazardous time of life is adolescence. Young animals die at a very high rate. The best help you can provide for a young animal is to leave it alone. If its parents are temporarily away, they will return. If it has been abandoned, nature needs to take its course. Raising a wild animal in the confines of a cage is no life for one that deserves to be free.
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