Wildlife belongs in the wild, and experts emphasize: "If you care, leave them there."
The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) urges people who are out enjoying the outdoors not to handle young wild animals.
People often spot young wild animals they think are orphaned or need help. In most cases they are neither, and should be left alone, DFG officials stressed.
In 2008, more than 500 fawns were turned into California rehabilitation facilities by well-meaning members of the public. Many of these fawns were healthy and did not need to be disturbed.
Once a fawn is removed from its mother, it can lose its ability to survive in the wild. The same danger applies to most animals, including raccoons, bears, coyotes and most birds.
Disease is another reason that wild animals should not be handled. Wild animals can transmit diseases that can be contacted by humans, including rabies and tularemia, and also carry ticks, fleas and lice.
People improperly handling young wildlife is a problem most common in the spring, when many species are caring for their young offspring.
"People frequently pick up young wild animals because they believe they have been orphaned or abandoned and need to be saved," said Nicole Carion, DFG's statewide coordinator for wildlife rehabilitation and restricted species.
"However, in the vast majority of cases, the parents are still caring for their offspring and the attempt to 'rescue' the young animal all too frequently results in harm. Even though California has many capable rehabilitation centers, people need to understand that humans cannot provide the survival training or the perfect diet provided naturally by their wild mothers."
The responsibility for intervention should be left to DFG personnel or permitted wildlife rehabilitators.
It is illegal to keep orphaned or injured animals for more than 48 hours in California. People can call a rehabilitator, who will determine whether there is a need for a rescue. Rehabilitators are trained to provide care for wild animals so they retain their natural fear of humans and do not become habituated or imprinted.
For more details, visit DFG's website at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/rehab/facilities.html
Joe Segura, a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, has covered Gotham City, er Long Beach, for 34 years. During his very, very long -- endless -- tenure, he's covered almost every beat, and he was the main writer for BeachWeek, which focused on life and lifestyles of the shoreline communities from downtown Long Beach to the Huntington Beach pier.
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