Reminder: Leave baby Animals Alone, and be Mindful of Diseases

Each spring, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks receives calls from people who have picked up baby wildlife they’ve found in town, their yards, or in the wild. It’s often done out of concern for the animal, but almost always does more harm than good. Remember, if you care, leave them there.

Wildlife care for their young much differently than humans. They have strategies to provide the highest chance of survival for their young and those strategies frequently involve leaving them alone for periods of time. This is common with deer and rabbits – two animals also common in towns around Montana.

As an example, fawns are born with very little scent, excellent camouflage and an instinct to stay put. Their mothers feed away from their fawns to avoid attracting the attention of predators. Humans can attract the interest of predators just by lingering around baby animals, revealing their hiding spots.

Wild animals thrive better in the wild where they have plenty of natural habitat (food, water, shelter, space). Additionally, it’s safer for humans to leave wild animals alone. Baby ground squirrels, racoons and rabbits can carry zoonotic diseases, which means diseases that are infectious for humans. Examples include plague, hemorrhagic diseases and tularemia.

If you see a baby animal, whether a duckling or a fawn, keep your distance and leave it alone.

What can you do?

Leave It There. It’s natural for deer and elk to leave their young alone for extended periods of time.

Control Your Dog. Keep your dog under control, especially in the spring when newborn wildlife is most vulnerable. Pet owners can be cited and dogs that harass or kill wildlife may by law have to be destroyed.

Keep in Mind. It is illegal to possess and care for a live animal taken from the wild.

Should someone bring a deer or elk to FWP, they'll be asked to take the animal back to the site where it was found.  If the animal can't be returned, it may need to be humanely euthanized.

Each spring, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks receives calls from people who have picked up baby wildlife found in towns or the wild. While these actions are often motivated by concern, they usually do more harm than good. If you care about wildlife, leave them where they are.

Wild animals care for their young differently than humans. For instance, fawns are born with little scent and excellent camouflage, and their mothers often stay away to avoid attracting predators. When humans linger, they can accidentally expose these young animals to danger.

Wild animals thrive in their natural habitats, and it’s safer for humans to keep their distance. Baby squirrels, raccoons, and rabbits can carry diseases that are infectious to humans. If you see a baby animal, whether it’s a duckling or a fawn, maintain your distance.

It’s normal for deer and elk to leave their young alone. Additionally, pet owners should keep their dogs under control, especially in spring when wildlife is vulnerable, as it is illegal to possess a wild animal. If someone brings a deer or elk to FWP, they will need to return it to where it was found, or it may need to be humanely euthanized.