This is the time of year I used to hate when I worked in the veterinary hospital. It’s when wild animals start having babies and well-meaning people would find them and bring them home thinking they were orphaned. We’d get an assortment of calls about bunnies, birds and even fawns.

Unfortunately, while people think they are helping the baby, they can actually be causing it more harm. Our maternal instinct goes into overdrive when we see a little baby by itself, but being left alone is normal for most wildlife young. Moms need to go off and find food so they leave their babies in a safe spot (If you have kids, you know how hard it is to go to the grocery store with them.) The babies are actually safer from predators when left alone because their scent and size aren’t as noticeable as an adult so there is a method to mom wildlife’s madness. Some moms like rabbits, only visit there young twice a day.

What do you do if you find a baby? If the baby is injured, it needs to be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator as it may not survive if left. If you see the mom has been killed, you know the baby is orphaned so can take steps to transport the baby safely to a rehabilitator also.

If the baby is not injured or you aren’t sure it’s orphaned in most cases the best thing to do is leave it where you found it. Some such as baby birds that can’t fly may need a make-shift nest rigged up for them to help keep them safe while mom and dad feed them until they can fly on their own. Animals have a sense of smell that is many times greater than ours so they know you are there even if you can’t see them so be sure to leave the area. If you have touched the baby it is okay to leave it. It’s a myth that moms won’t accept their young if a human has touched them.

We all want to do what’s best and leaving babies alone is usually the right thing to do. To learn more about orphaned wildlife visit PAWS which has great documents on what to do if you find a bird, fawn or small mammal you think needs help.

Note- It’s important to remember that in many states it is illegal for someone to care for wildlife without a license even orphaned babies so contacting a wildlife rehabilitator should always been the first step. To find a wildlife rehabilitator in your area, visit The Wildlife Rehabilitation Information Directory.