Often times our best intentions have unintended consequences. This applies to the newborn critters that are now finding their way in the Mountain community. Young animals are rarely orphaned and should be left where they belong – in the wild.

“This is the time of year Oregon’s wildlife rehabilitators ... are inundated with calls from people who
have picked up perfectly healthy young animals,” Michelle Dennehy, of the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, wrote in a May 9 press release. “In
spring, birds will spend some time on the ground as they learn to fly. Deer
fawns, elk calves and other animals may be left alone for several hours while
their parents feed elsewhere.”

Susan Barnes, biologist for ODFW, pointed to owls as perfect examples.
“Great horned owls, and screech owls are on the ground for weeks before
they fly,” Barnes told The Mountain Times. “They hop around, flap their wings,
and people see them as abandoned.”

Peggy Cheathem of the Umpqua Wildlife Rescue has been in the business of
rehabilitating deer fawns for 18 years, and she has seen many unfortunate
incidents in which people have “rescued” fawns assuming they were
orphaned.

“I explain to them the natural process of mom and baby in the wild and that
taking the fawn was a mistake,” Cheathem said. “I ask them to put it back
exactly where they got it, or close by, and to follow up in the morning. Nine
times out of 10 the fawn is gone by morning because mom has picked it up.”

Any of our young critters taken away from its natural environment misses out
on the opportunity to learn important survival skills – like where to eat, how
to behave as part of a group and most importantly, perhaps, how to avoid and
escape from predators.

Further, removing an animal from the wild and keeping it in captivity without
a permit is against state law, as is transporting animals, Dennehy noted.

Holding some birds and marine mammals without permits are also violations
of federal laws.

Barnes has had to deal with such best intentions many times – and a couple
of them have occurred recently. Barnes tells the tales:

“Just this week (in mid-May) a well-intentioned woman from
Boring – who frequents the Mountain View Golf Course – saw a fawn near the
golf course at about 9 a.m. There was no doe around and she was concerned.
She returned about 9 p.m. and the fawn was still there. She figured it was in
trouble, brought it home, and bottle fed it. The next morning she called in and
it got routed to me. I urged her to bring it in but instead she decided to take it
back to hole No. 13. I told her to ‘not look back’ after she returned it. The
fawn is no longer there.”

An even more bizarre moment occurred when a Milwaukie woman called
Barnes saying she had found a crow nestling and had “rescued it.”

“I questioned her and she admitted having been caring for the crow for 12
years,” Barnes said, unable to mask her own astonishment. “It had been
living in a kitchen cage and she was feeling guilty. The crow was in poor
condition, so I went and retrieved it. She had clipped its wings, named it
Dexter, and it is now living in my office.

“It wouldn’t have survived much longer, and certainly not in the wild. It was
malnourished and I’ve been giving it a healthier diet. I’m now trying to get it
placed with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.”

Barnes noted that citizens who observe what they think is an animal in
distress to first call the Portland Audubon Society Wildlife Care Center at 503-
292-0304, as the society is manned seven days a week. For backup, ODFW’s
number is 971-673-6000; or the Molalla Wildlife Foundation at 971-227-4036.

“It’s obvious when an animal needs help – a dead doe, a cat has pounced on a
baby bird or has a duckling in its mouth,” Barnes said. “It’s best then to take
immediate action and call.”

And in light of the most common incidents, Barnes urges all cat owners to
keep their charges indoors.