Young birds and mammals found in Island backyards, fields and woodlots should be left alone advises the Fish and Wildlife Division of the PEI Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment.
"Some people have been picking up young raccoons and robins and then calling the Fish and Wildlife Division to rescue them," said Randy Dibblee, wildlife biologist, Fish and Wildlife Division. "In many cases these animals had temporarily strayed from the adult female and would have been recovered by her eventually."
According to Dibblee, people who pick up fledgling birds and young mammals are not doing wild animals any favour and may be risking their own health. Handling wild animals increases exposure to bites and also to pathogenic organisms such as parasites and bacterial and viral disease organisms.
"Removing wildlife from their natural environments exposes them to unnecessary stress and probable eventual death," said Dibblee. "Rarely will a young animal survive but those that do, such as young raccoons, will become problem animals as they reach maturity. Attempts to re-introduce captive wildlife back to the wild will fail because the animal has not learned to survive on its own."
In some cases young animals are orphaned through accidental death or natural predation to the parents and should be left to fend for themselves. In the natural world, far more young are produced annually than necessary to maintain the populations of each wildlife species. This high birth rate must be balanced by an equally high mortality rate. Predation and scavenging by other species is a natural and necessary process to ensure the long-term health of wildlife populations.
"People interfering with lost, orphaned, or abandoned young are not helping wildlife populations or the environment," added Dibblee. "Such actions are also not consistent with Prince Edward Island's wildlife policy that prohibits the keeping of native wildlife in captivity. Young wild birds and mammals that you encounter should be left alone."
For more information, please contact the Fish and Wildlife Division of the PEI Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment at (902) 368-4666.