This is the time of year when most wild animals are having their young, and when people come across all kinds of birds and mammals that look like they need help. Birds sometimes fall out of nests. Deer fawns are sometimes found in hay fields alone. A group of young raccoons are located in dead tree with no adult around. All kinds of situations can arise, but people have to resist the urge to intervene in the natural process of wildlife raising young.

The best advice to people when finding a bird or animal is to leave it alone or put it back where it was found. Yes, that seems like a less than helpful approach, yet people who pick up seemingly abandoned wildlife with the best of intentions can often do more to harm the animal than to help it. The young animals are usually not abandoned at all. And secondly, humans are rarely the best choice as surrogate parents for wild animals. Wildlife simply does not respond well to help from people, nor do most people have the tremendous amount of time and patience it takes to try to care for offspring of wild animals.

White-tailed deer and other animals typically leave their young alone for long periods of time, only to return and take care of them. If you discover a young mammal or bird, try not handle it. Keep children and pets away from it. Staying away from the young animals reduces stress on the youngster and increases the chance the mother will return to care for it.

Additionally, in many cases a wild animal removed from the wild doesn’t live long no matter what you do for it. It just doesn’t understand you’re trying to help, and will not accept food or drink other than the way its nature and instinct tells it to. Taking wildlife from the wild is not only detrimental, it is also against the law.

So, if you see young wildlife alone, leave it be. Nature has a way of taking care of its own if we give it a chance.