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Put down that baby!

By CONNIE MERTZ

There's nothing more special than seeing a babe in our backyards or woodlands. What could be cuter than a fawn or cuddly little rabbit? Talk to any wildlife rehabilitator in Pennsylvania and you will learn May and June are the peak months for caring for injured or orphaned wildlife.

But before you assume that a wildlife species needs human assistance, consider what is best for the little critter. If it's a rabie-vector species such as a racoon, fox, skunk, woodchuck or bat, it's best left alone. Once you have human contact with these species, it has to be destroyed and tested for rabies -- yes, even if it's healthy. You can contract rabies not only by being bitten, but by the animal's saliva which enters a break in your skin. Letting rabie-vector species alone not only protects the animal from certain death, but more importantly protects you.

It's a fact that wild creatures survive best in the wild, so leave them there if at all possible. Baby birds who have fallen from a nest (or ones that are still in a nest that has now been blown down or fallen) will still survive if you place the nest in a berry basket and attach it to the crotch of the same tree or one closeby. Parents will still tend to its needs.

If you handle little rabbits, the stress factor you place them under can actually prove fatal. Also, when young wildlife isn't placed in the exact location where it was found, it may not find its own way back to its nest, den or natural surroundings. The best thing to do is resist the temptation to handle under any circumstances.

And when an injured bird or animal is found, it's best not to touch until you have contacted your local wildlife rehabilitator or the wildlife conservation office in your area. Let them decide what should be done.

Did you know? Fawns are usually born on rainy nights. This helps wash away their scent, protecting them from predators.