Wildlife Mothers Know Best

By Jennifer Jackson, Regional Conservation Educator dnd James Rich, for IDFG Glorious summer weather is great for everyone, including Idaho's wildlife. This is the time of year when baby birds are learning to fly, mule deer does are dropping fawns, and elk and moose calves are walking on shaky little legs. Camping and hiking experiences for outdoors enthusiasts are often filled with the sounds of coyote pups yelping with their families, or the sight of fuzzy Mallard ducklings obediently following their mothers. Though nature's nursery is a joy to watch, there are a few things to keep in mind when you visit the great outdoors, even if you are only venturing as far as your own backyard. When it comes to taking care of animal babies, no one does it better than animal moms. So, if you see a baby bird hopping on the ground or a tiny fawn curled up in the shade of an aspen, leave it alone. Don't assume the young animal has been abandoned. In almost every situation, the mother is very close by, and may even be watching you watch her baby. Think about a human mother who leaves her child to nap in a crib in a room that she herself is not occupying. That doesn't mean she abandoned her baby-rather she is carrying on with another activity in a different location of the home while her child rests. Similarly, animal parents will at times leave their young in order to search for food or to divert attention away from their young, especially if they sense danger. Young wild animals, like deer fawns, know instinctively to remain still and in the places their mothers left them. The mothers will return every three to four hours to nurse and care for their young. In the mean time, a fawn's protective coloring and lack of movement helps to hide its location from predators. During this time of year, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game receives a flurry of public phone calls regarding everything from baby owls and hawk chicks to young foxes and mule deer fawns. While the first instinct of most callers is to "rescue" the animal by removing it from the wild, this is not always the best solution, and in fact, is unlawful. "In most cases, the best chance a fawn or [elk or moose] calf has, is to be left alone," says Corey Class, regional wildlife biologist for the Southeast Region of Idaho Fish and Game. "The mother is usually near-by." Marc Porter, Fish and Game senior conservation officer stationed in Malad City, agrees and adds that not only should young animals be left alone, people encountering them should also leave the area. "There is a very, very high probability that the mother is around," Porter says, "and a mom can take care of her baby better than we can." Recently, some concerned McCammon residents called Fish and Game to report that a young barred owl had apparently fallen from its nest site while trying to fly. Fish and Game personnel arrived at the site and quickly determined that the young owl was not injured. The owl was placed in the branches of a tree near one of its siblings so that mother owl could continue to care for her young. That young owl now has a chance to survive as a wild animal, contributing to what makes Idaho so wild and wonderful. In contrast, a young fawn brought to the Pocatello Fish and Game office last week has been permanently removed from the wild and placed in the care of the Pocatello Zoo. Though the concerned individual meant well, thinking the animal had been abandoned, the cold reality is that the once-wild fawn will spend the rest of its life in captivity. That is because baby animals reared in captivity do not learn the survival techniques needed to sustain a life in the wild, and simply cannot be released. Scott Ransom, director of the Pocatello Zoo, says, "The zoo will take wildlife in need of care as space permits, especially orphaned or injured animals. However, this particular fawn was in good condition and likely not an orphan." He further stressed that the zoo only takes in animals that would not otherwise survive in the wild, and that the zoo will not accept wild animals without approval of the Fish and Game. Because of the intense feeding schedule required to rear a young fawn, Ransom adds, "The zoo now has the responsibility of caring for this fawn at the cost of thousands of taxpayer dollars and employee time. We are more than happy to do this, but it is best to reserve space and funding for those animals that are truly orphaned or injured." It may seem cold-hearted to just leave a baby animal alone, but imagine how sad it is for a mother to return to an area and find her baby missing. In the case of mule deer, Class says that a doe will often hang out in an area for several days, searching and waiting for her missing baby to reappear. So, what do you do if you see a robin fledgling hopping in your backyard, a young fox which looks weary and thirsty, or a fawn that you think is an orphan? Leave them be. Then contact your local Fish and Game office. Fish and Game employees work for the agency because they truly care about wildlife. They are happy to take calls about orphaned or injured animals, answer questions, and when necessary, retrieve animals. Fish and Game is committed to helping Idaho's wildlife, but keep in mind that sometimes "helping" means standing back and letting wildlife do what comes . . . naturally.