Wildlife encounters can be touching, they can be rewarding, and they can be dangerous for us and for the critters. I recall one time when some of us were hiking in Los Padres National Forest.
The fawn looked so cute and helpless. It wasn’t even old enough to get away quickly. It seemed vulnerable and in need of assistance. I smiled wistfully and whispered, “If you grow to be a big wise deer one day it will be in part because I left you alone and on your own. Besides, your mom is probably watching me from a distance, hoping I leave you alone. Good luck my little friend!”
March through June are the months when many wild critters give birth to their young, which remain vulnerable through the summer season while they grow and put on weight. People visiting wild places should be aware that just because they see a baby animal alone doesn’t mean it’s been abandoned.
Well-meaning people may try to help a young animal by feeding it or picking it up. In doing so, they can short-circuit the foraging or hunting lessons parents are trying to teach their offspring. They can also invite an assault by the baby critter’s mom, which is full grown and probably quite strong.
“People need to appreciate the viewing opportunity, then just turn and walk away and leave the animal alone,” Pam Swift, Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wildlife veterinarian, said years ago. “Human interaction is rarely beneficial to wild animals, even though it may be tempting to handle baby animals.”
Every year, California Department of Fish & Wildlife (DFW) receives hundreds of reports of deer fawns picked up by citizens. In most cases there was no evidence the mother was dead or had abandoned the fawn.
According to a DFW press release I read, a San Anselmo man recently picked up an elk calf at Point Reyes National Seashore and fed it cow’s milk, which can cause diarrhea and lead to death by dehydration.
In most cases, DFW warns people who have taken a baby animal from the wild that the best corrective action is to take the animal back and to place it in exactly the same location, and then leave.
According to Swift, “When people find fawns they think are abandoned, they feel sorry for them. They don’t realize that when a fawn is a newborn it’s not strong enough to go with its mother. This is the process that a doe uses to protect her baby.”
Once a fawn is removed from its mother, it can lose its ability to survive in the wild. The same danger applies to most species, including raccoons, bears, coyotes, and most birds. If the animal can be placed back in the spot where it was found within 24 hours, Swift said the mother may return and retrieve it.
If a sick, injured, or orphaned animal cannot be replaced in the wild, it must be turned over to a permitted rehabilitation center to have any chance of surviving in the wild. One that I’ve found is www.cawildlife.org.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
