Experts in Saskatchewan warn people to maintain distance from young wildlife

With summer nearby, it’s an exciting time for outdoor activities. It’s also a time when young animals like ducklings, rabbits, songbirds or fawns become more visible in their natural habitats.

Despite any good intentions, wildlife experts are reminding people that physical distancing guidelines aren’t only for humans.

“We want to make sure we give wildlife its space, and especially here in the springtime we know more people are getting out and about and this is the time of year when the wildlife is having its offspring,” said Ted Glass, Saskatchewan conservation officer.

Ecologist Sarah Romuld is reminding people not to assume that just because an animal is isolated, that it is orphaned.

“For example, rabbits, they’ll actually leave their young, they’ll separate them and leave them in different spots intentionally,” Romuld explains.

“So, we do have people that come across young juvenile rabbits and they think they’ve been left all by themselves and in most cases, they’re actually left there by design,” she adds.

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Environment says trying to help wild animals that appear orphaned, or lost, is often detrimental to their health and safety.

They add that in nature, young animals and birds are purposely placed into seclusion by their mothers to protect them from predators.

In the majority of cases, these young animals are not abandoned or deserted, and the mother is watching nearby.

The ministry notes the chances for survival decrease significantly when young animals come into contact with humans.

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They say the best thing to do is to leave them alone and enjoy the animals from a distance.

“Young wildlife should only be picked up if the parent is found dead nearby, or in an unnatural situation such as a young songbird found on a doorstep,” writes the ministry in a statement.

“In that case, the young bird could be moved to the closest suitable habitat,” the statement goes onto to read.

Romuld says she also wants people — especially children — to refrain from chasing wildlife.

“I always say, imagine a dinosaur, because although they have not seen a dinosaur, most kids have imagined, or see pictures, and know how big they are, imagine how scary it might be for you if a dinosaur were chasing you,” Romuld said.

Feeding animals is also frowned upon since they can be overfed, or get sick, which can often result in excess fecal waste.

Natalia Slipak is a clinic manager with the Salthaven West Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Regina and she shares some tips on how people can tell if an animal is distressed or has been injured.

“It can be blood, anywhere around the animal, it could be, in cases of little ones, dead siblings around them, look for maggots and flies,” Slipak explains.

She adds the summer can get very busy for the clinic, last summer they admitted 155 animals in 10 days.

The clinic is volunteer and donation-based, and people can check their Facebook page to see what supplies they need.

The wildlife experts emphasize that being considerate of the furry little creatures we share space with is highly integral to their survival.

“So, we do strive to have a balance between a recreational park and as well as it being a natural environment,” Romuld states.

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