It’s springtime, which means it’s also time for the annual reminder from our friends at the Division of Wildlife – Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources: enjoy wildlife from a distance and leave young animals in the wild! At this time of year, we might see baby squirrels on the ground or a deer fawn hiding alone in the underbrush. It’s tempting to intervene but wildlife officials remind us that:

“Many adult wild animals will leave their young offspring alone while they forage for food, or to divert the attention of potential predators away from the more vulnerable young. When young animals are discovered with no adults in sight, the adult is often nearby waiting for people to leave the area before they retrieve their young.”

They also dispel the myth that if humans handle a young animal then the parents will no longer take care of it. If humans disturb a nest, the young and the nest material should be replaced as close as possible to the original location. But generally “only licensed wildlife rehabilitators, working under special permits issued by the ODNR Division of Wildlife, may possess and care for native wild animals”. You can read the full article here.