How to Help Wildlife

By Emma Roth.

Baby birds on the ground, turtles in the road, and fawns seemingly abandoned by their mothers. It is that time of year when all sorts of wildlife seems in desperate need of our help. But do they really need us? Most of the time, the answer is easy: no.

Seeing a helpless animal, especially a baby, pulls at our heartstrings. Humans have an intensely nurturing spirit. We want to care for those around us, whether that be other humans, or our animal friends. It is part of what makes us so special, and has allowed us to evolve the ability to form complex civilizations and societies. It is something we should be proud of, but it is not always needed.

Let’s look at some common wildlife scenarios we find ourselves in this time of year, with animals that may or may not need our help, and figure out what is best for them and us. In some cases, it may be necessary for us to step in and help the critters, but in a surprising number of cases, it is best to just let nature take its course.

A common call we get at Audubon this time of year is about baby birds. A baby bird has been found on the ground. They look wobbly, or don’t seem to have all their feathers. Maybe they are cheeping and looking for their parents. So, what should you do? The first step is to figure out if the bird is a nestling (and should still be in the nest), or a fledgling who is taking its first independent steps in the world. If the bird has feathers, even if they still look fluffy, and can walk or hop, it is a fledgling and is doing just fine! Enjoy watching the little creature take its first steps in the world, and don’t worry, its parents are nearby, feeding it regularly.

If the bird has few feathers, or is unable to stand, walk, or hop, it may be a nestling that fell out of its nest too early. These birds may need your help, but not as much as you might expect. You may be tempted to take the bird inside to keep it warm, give it food, and watch it grow, but that often does more harm than good, as well as being illegal. The best thing to do is return the bird to the nest. If the nest is too high, or you can’t find it, simply make a new nest out of a plastic box with holes in the bottom or similar and put it in a nearby tree, ideally as close to the original nest as possible, if you can find it. The parent birds will likely take over from there and continue to care for the nestling.

Another common bird call we get at Audubon is ducks in non-ducky places. Duck families are often seen in neighborhoods, along roads, and generally in areas we don’t expect them to be. There’s no water nearby, so why are there ducks? Well, the ducks know what they are doing, and know where the water is. If the ducks are in the middle of a busy road, help shoo them along to the edge, but otherwise let them be.

Baby deer are another common concern this time of year. You may wake up to a little fawn curled up in your yard, seemingly entirely alone, and it is there for hours. How could the mother just abandon it like that? Well, good news, the mother hasn’t abandoned it, and the fawn is well-taken care of. Does will leave their fawns in a safe place during the day and go off to forage for food on their own. They will return to the fawn to give it milk and care for it when the coast is clear, likely when you aren’t watching. It may be hard to leave a baby there alone, but trust in nature as you enjoy the undeniable cuteness of your little visitor (from a respectable distance).

Turtles in the road are the only time I actively encourage people to pick up wild animals. If a turtle is crossing the road, help it! But make sure to do it safely; you are more important than the turtle. Hold the turtle like a hamburger (firmly with one hand on each side of the shell) and move the turtle in the same direction it is travelling, even if that is away from water. They are likely looking for a place on land to dig a nest for their eggs. The exception to this is snapping turtles and spiny softshell turtles, just let them be or guard them while they make their way across (while being safe!); it’s not worth the risk to your fingers to pick them up and they are surprisingly fast on land.

There are times when human intervention is necessary when it comes to wild animals. They can be injured, sick, or orphaned, however it is sometimes hard to tell when this is the case. If you think an animal needs help, or your cat or dog has brought them to you, you should seek the help of a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator (even if they look unharmed). They will assess the situation and decide if the animal really does need human help. If it does, they have the skills, knowledge, and legal ability to do so.

Animals are remarkably adaptable and tough. They have evolved to survive all sorts of situations. Trust in the natural process and do what you need to help the critters around us, which is often nothing more than keeping pets indoors when fledglings and babies are about, sharing knowledge with others, or simply watching.

Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature. ACNC is located just east of Route 62 between Warren and Jamestown. The trails and outdoor facilities are open from dawn to dusk. The Nature Center is open from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily except Sunday when it opens at 1 p.m. More information can be found online at auduboncnc.org or by calling (716) 569-2345.

Emma Roth is a Nature Educator at ACNC.