Ah Spring! It doesn’t take much of an expert to notice that this is the busiest time for nature. Birds and mammals are very active at this time of year, and a little bit of information can help prevent one of the most common problems that wildlife faces. Perhaps the most persistent myth anywhere is the one that human scent will cause wild animals to abandon their young. Absolutely not true! Though this legend was probably started to keep people from handling animals, it is the largest reason why people bring baby animals and birds to wildlife rehabilitators. Birds have very poor senses of smell, and the maternal instinct in animals is far too strong to be deterred by human handling. Kathy Hershey and Dr. Melissa Newcomb of UTOPIA Wildlife Rehabilitators say that most baby animals and birds that they receive are actually “kidnapped” by well-meaning people who think that the mother is gone or that because the animal or bird was touched they can’t return it. Baby birds should be warmed if cold, and either placed back in the nest or in a container (a margarine container with drainage holes or a small basket is good) in the same tree as close to the nest as possible. Keep a close watch to make sure the parent birds feed the replaced baby. If the parents don’t return within an hour, call a wildlife rehabilitator. Once feathered, baby birds go through a “fledgling” stage that starts with their jump from the nest. They are relatively helpless for the first few days out of the nest, but the parents are still there feeding them on the ground. This is a normal stage in their development, and they need to be left alone so that they can continue the work of learning to fly and “be a bird”. If you should notice these less experienced birds in your yard, you can help by moving them away from the road, and keeping your pets inside or restrained when outside. Most birds master this “toddler” phase in about a week and a half, and just being kind of a “guardian angel” is all you need to do. The birds’ own parents will do the rest. Just briefly about other animal babies: raccoons and squirrels are frequently displaced when they are found in buildings or in trees that are cut down. When this happens, place the babies in the original section of tree trunk close to the area where the tree was felled or in a box near the place the mother uses to gain entrance to the building. The mother will return to take the babies to safety elsewhere. Keep pets and people away. The same is true for fawns. A baby fawn’s best defense is to hide when danger approaches; Mom runs away to a safe distance and waits until the coast is clear. Leave the area and take dogs and children with you. She can’t come back until you leave! Rabbit mothers return to their nests at dawn and dusk to feed their young. If a nest is disturbed while mowing or if a nest is uncovered by a pet, check the babies for injuries, put them in the nest and cover it with the original nesting materials. You can place a couple of small twigs on top of the nest and check to see if they are disturbed in the morning. If the babies are gone, the mother has moved them to another location. If the twigs are not moved in the morning, call a wildlife rehabilitator. Trust nature. It works. A baby bird or mammal’s best chance for survival is always with its mother. If all else fails, and the bird or animal is truly orphaned or injured, state law requires that a licensed wildlife rehabilitator care for it. You can reach UTOPIA Wildlife Rehabilitators at (812)546-6318.

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