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Contact: Deborah Turcotte, Spokesperson
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
284 State Street
41 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333


Telephone: work (207) 287-6008 cell (207) 592-1164

Fax: (207) 287-6395

June 9, 2009

If you care, leave them there

EVENT: “If you care, leave them there!”

DATE: Thursday, June 11, 2009

TIME: 12:30 P.M.

LOCATION: Maine Wildlife Park, Route 26, Gray. Go to the park’s web site for directions, www.mainewildlifepark.com.

ATTENDEES: Natural Sciences Educator Lisa Kane

LINK FOR INFO: http://mainegov-images.informe.org/ifw/education/wildlifepark/pdfs/ifyoucarebrochure.pdf and
www.mainewildlifepark.com

PURPOSE: So far this spring, three moose calves and six fawns have been brought to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray. Only a few appear to have been orphaned.

Each year, well-intentioned people pick up young animals believing they have been abandoned by their mothers. The majority of them have not been. IF&W is encouraging people to care by leaving the animals in the wild, and if they truly believe an animal has been orphaned, to call an IF&W regional biologist who will evaluate the situation.

This press conference will show the animals and provide information about how moose, deer and other species take care of their young in the wild.

The addition of the animals to the Maine Wildlife Park also gives parents an opportunity to bring their children to the park to learn about how wildlife parent their young in Maine’s outdoors.

For more information, contact Natural Sciences Educator Lisa Kane at 287-3303

“If you care, leave them there!”

This is the time of year when many members of the public encounter baby fawns, robins, raccoons and other young wildlife in their back yards and woodlands.

Young wildlife is often ‘kidnapped’ by well-meaning people in the mistaken belief that they have been abandoned. The mother-young bond is very strong in mammals and birds, and parents will return given the opportunity to do so with out human interference.

Because wild parents can’t hire babysitters, and must leave their youngsters alone while they search for food, people often stumble upon a fawn hidden in the leaves on the forest floor, young birds taking their first flights, or young raccoon and fox kits wandering a bit too far from the home den.

Three moose calves and 6 deer fawns have already been brought to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray this spring, and unfortunately, we expect many more before the end of the season. Only one is an orphan.

Fawns: If you encounter a fawn, leave it alone! Adult mother does return only 2-3 times a day to young fawns to nurse them, otherwise leaving them stashed in a protected place and relying on their camouflage and lack of scent to protect them from predators. As soon as fawns are able to keep up with mom, they travel more with her as she forages for food.

Squirrels or Raccoons: If a nest of squirrels or raccoons must be disturbed, (for example if a tree has been cut down or fallen) leave the young in the den part of the tree and leave them nearby in a protected place. The mother will in all likelihood come back and transport them to a new location.

Birds: The same is true for a bird’s nest. Put the nest and nestlings into a nearby tree, supported in a basket or other container that has drainage. The mother robin or blue jay is probably right around the corner, and will return to feed the young and care for them until they can fly on their own.

But in most instances, if you come across any healthy young wild animal or bird, leave it alone! The mother will come back to care for it, as long as humans move a distance away to let the family reassemble. If you have pets, put them inside your home or leash them so they can’t disturb the young wildlings.

If, however, you think an animal may be orphaned, please call an IF&W regional biologist to see whether that is the case. Please, do not pick it up and take it home.

Wild birds and mammals do not make good pets, and it’s against the law to possess them without the proper state and federal permits.

So remember, if you care about young wildlife, leave them where you found them!