What Should You Do if You Find a Baby Animal?

Wild animals typically ignore or hide from people when they pass them by. But, sometimes people have experiences where wild animals don't ignore them, and the animal might need help or distance. It's important to be able to recognize that in a creature, and here are some ways you can do it. 

To preface this article, we need to stress that the most important thing to do when you find a wild animal acting strangely is to determine whether it is in immediate danger and call a resource line. Unless instructed strictly to do so, do not get within three or so feet of the wild animal. Usually, it's best to leave them alone altogether. 

So, the first thing you should do when you run across a baby wild animal in a place it shouldn't be is to determine whether it needs help. If the creature is bleeding, crying, injured, or it is in a dangerous environment that puts it at risk by other humans or animals, you should probably intervene. 

However, in most cases, you should just leave the animal alone. Let's say that a baby bird fell out of its nest right in front of you. your first reaction might be to try and get it back into its nest, but that's probably the last thing you want to do. 

Leave the bird alone. If the bird is a fledgling, it probably jumped out of its nest on purpose. If you can see the nest near you, it's even more important to leave it alone. If the bird's mother sees you interacting with the bird, she'll likely treat that bird differently. 

Don't take it personally, that's just the circle of life. 

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Post originally appeared on Endeared.