Honourable Kevin J. MacAdam, Minister of Fisheries and Environment, today reminded anyone who encounters young birds and mammals in their backyards, fields and woodlots to leave them alone. The Minister reported that each year the Fish and Wildlife Division receive "rescue" calls from people who have picked up birds or mammals and are looking for assistance for the animals. "Interfering with apparently lost, orphaned, or abandoned young does not help wildlife populations," said Mr. MacAdam.
"Although they appear to be orphans, often these animals have only temporarily strayed from the adult female and will be recovered by her eventually," said Mr. MacAdam. People who handle fledgling birds and young mammals are not doing these animals any favour. Quite the contrary -- they are exposing them to unnecessary stress and probable eventual death. Rarely will the young animal survive. Those that do, such as young raccoons, will become problem animals as they reach maturity. Attempts to reintroduce captive wildlife into the wild usually fail because the animals have not learned to survive on their own.
Sometimes young animals are orphaned through accidental death or natural predation to the parents. In the natural world, far more young are produced annually than are necessary to maintain the populations of each species. An equally high mortality rate balances this high birth rate. Predation and scavenging by other species are natural, and necessary processes to insure the long-term health of wildlife populations.
The provincial wildlife policy prohibits the keeping of native wildlife in captivity. Individuals who handle wildlife risk exposing themselves to bites and pathogenic organisms such as parasites and bacterial and viral disease organisms. "While the concern for wildlife is admirable, young wild birds and mammals should be left alone, both for the benefit of the wildlife and the safety of the individuals encountering them," stressed Mr. MacAdam.