What not to do if you find a baby animal

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Dear Editor:

Early spring and summer are generally the seasons many animals raise their families, from deer to rabbits to birds. Animals make it their “mission” to continue their lineage. Unfortunately, the environment and/or humans can impede them from accomplishing this goal.

It is important to know what to do if you find an injured or abandoned animal, but most important we need to know what NOT to do. For example, just because you see a bunny nest and no mother, she has not left them alone. In order to not draw attention to them, she only feeds them morning and evening then she goes away. Most baby animals are being cared for even if you do not observe it. Baby robins jump from the nest before they can fly and spend up to a week hopping on the ground and slowly going higher into bushes and then trees all while being fed by both parents.

Unless an animal is in obvious danger or injured it is best to put animals back in their nest and watch from afar for parental care. If you find an injured or abandoned animal the most important things to know is to keep it safe and warm and DO NOT feed it anything. For example, birds do not drink milk or eat bread and squirrels do not eat processed human food.

It is best to contact a licensed Indiana wildlife rehabilitator found on the IN DNR website. Rehabbers are listed by county and the animals they will take.

Please help our wild animals in the safest way possible.

Nancy Tatum
Carmel