(Area) The Iowa DNR has a message for individuals that think they may need to rescue any animals they might find in nature.
The message is to leave wildlife where it is. “Every year we touch on this topic. Every year the Iowa DNR gets phone calls about wildlife babies. These can be white tail fawns, young of the year owls, baby ducks, geese, even down to baby raccoons and skunks.”
The best chance of survival is in their natural habitat, according to Bryan Hayes with the DNR Office in Lewis. “People come across them and assume right away that they are abandoned if they don’t see an adult around and pick them up. I don’t know how many calls we get saying ‘I’ve got a baby robin. I’ve put it in a shoe box. We have water and worms in there. Is it going to survive?'”
A baby being found alone does not always mean it has been completely abandoned. “So if you come across these wildlife babies like white tail fawns, be assured that the mother has probably stashed that fawn, hid it, and is not very far away. Or she’s coming back to get it. It’s pretty typical for the does to leave their fawns hidden as they go out and feed and they always come back to get them.”
Hayes says moving those animals causes unneeded stress.
