The Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry is reminding people not to "rescue" young wildlife.
Every spring, biologists with the Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division receive calls from people who have "rescued" what seems to be orphaned young wildlife. However, a young animal on its own does not necessarily mean that it has been abandoned.
"Despite their concerns, we need Islanders to understand that in most cases these are not orphaned wildlife," said Randy Dibblee, a biologist with the Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry. "In fact, many species will leave their young unattended, often for several hours or more, while they forage for food. In most cases, the adults are nearby and quite aware of their young, so handling or removing them from their natural environment exposes them to unnecessary stress."
Dibblee also noted that "rescuing" these young animals violates P.E.I.'s Wildlife Policy, which prohibits people from keeping native wildlife in captivity. He urged Islanders who encounter young birds and mammals to simply leave them alone.
Death by predation and accidents are a natural part of the life cycle that helps to ensure the long-term health of wildlife populations. While young animals can be orphaned, wild creatures produce more young each year than is necessary to maintain a healthy population. Usually, a high birth rate will be balanced by a similar rate of natural mortality thus keeping the population stable and within the bounds of what the environment can sustain.
Dibblee cautioned that people who pick up fledgling birds and young mammals may be risking their own health. Handling wild animals increases the risk of human exposure to bites and pathogens such as parasites, bacteria and viral organisms.
For more information on wildlife in Prince Edward Island, contact the Department of Environment, Energy and Forestry at (902) 368-4683.
They're cute but necessarily cuddly
One-month-old Charlie the porcupine was saved by an RCMP officer who, in the middle of the night, cut him loose from his umbilical cord after his mother was killed on a rural highway. Charlie the porcupine at the Medicine River Wildlife Centre. Islanders,
- Published on June 16, 2010
- Published on July 8, 2010
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Staff ~ The Journal Pioneer
People reminded not to 'rescue' young wildlife
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Comments
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- MEME
- - July 8, 2010 at 16:32:09
So that must be the reason why the government waited so long to fix oleary corner there are to many people on the earth what did they wanna do wipe out a few people first.Even bloomfield corner should be done also but i guess we have to many humans here and thats why they are closing hospitals .Government dont care about humans or animals well i do i know itt may sound stupid for me to put this here but think about it.
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- shawna
- - July 8, 2010 at 16:32:08
I would definatetly agree with the comments left above, What are we suppose to do just expect the animal to be left unattended. I feel some of the laws that we have on PEI are pathetic and the fact that the people that commit crimes get away with a slap on the wrist but it is ok to let an animal sit and possibly get ran over or killed by another animal i think that if people were more like animals we would have a better world dogs even know how to look after their puppies better then some mothers know how to look after their children i think if we paid more attention to ANIMALS we would know how to do things for ourselves as humans too bad animals didnt have control over us i would hate to see the outcome. Cheers.
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- Vicky
- - July 8, 2010 at 16:32:08
There is no way I could leave any animal to die. I would leave it be (if in a safe spot) and monitor from time to time to see if its parent returns; but it isn't in me to leave it for nature to take its course. A violation of the law, is it?!
I currently take care of several feral cats and kittens. I couldn't leave them be, either, although I believe they are considered a domesticated animal not wildlife. Do the cats - and me, and all the other people that help these cats - a huge favour and get your cats (including barn cats) spayed and neutered!! Do NOT abandon, or drop off, cats and kittens to fend for themselves. -
- carol
- - July 8, 2010 at 16:32:07
i would never walk by a wild animal of any kind an i certainly would not call wild life to take them cause they have a one way trip n thats to animal heaven .NEVER WOULD I FORSAKE WILD LIFE ILL TAKE CHANCES ON GETTING A DIEASE THEY NEED US TO PROTECT THEM
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- shawna
- - July 8, 2010 at 16:32:07
I would definatetly agree with the comments left above, What are we suppose to do just expect the animal to be left unattended. I feel some of the laws that we have on PEI are pathetic and the fact that the people that commit crimes get away with a slap on the wrist but it is ok to let an animal sit and possibly get ran over or killed by another animal i think that if people were more like animals we would have a better world dogs even know how to look after their puppies better then some mothers know how to look after their children i think if we paid more attention to ANIMALS we would know how to do things for ourselves as humans too bad animals didnt have control over us i would hate to see the outcome. Cheers.
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- Vicky
- - July 8, 2010 at 16:31:55
There is no way I could leave any animal to die. I would leave it be (if in a safe spot) and monitor from time to time to see if its parent returns; but it isn't in me to leave it for nature to take its course. A violation of the law, is it?!
I currently take care of several feral cats and kittens. I couldn't leave them be, either, although I believe they are considered a domesticated animal not wildlife. Do the cats - and me, and all the other people that help these cats - a huge favour and get your cats (including barn cats) spayed and neutered!! Do NOT abandon, or drop off, cats and kittens to fend for themselves. -
- MEME
- - July 8, 2010 at 16:31:55
So that must be the reason why the government waited so long to fix oleary corner there are to many people on the earth what did they wanna do wipe out a few people first.Even bloomfield corner should be done also but i guess we have to many humans here and thats why they are closing hospitals .Government dont care about humans or animals well i do i know itt may sound stupid for me to put this here but think about it.
-
- shawna
- - July 8, 2010 at 16:31:54
I would definatetly agree with the comments left above, What are we suppose to do just expect the animal to be left unattended. I feel some of the laws that we have on PEI are pathetic and the fact that the people that commit crimes get away with a slap on the wrist but it is ok to let an animal sit and possibly get ran over or killed by another animal i think that if people were more like animals we would have a better world dogs even know how to look after their puppies better then some mothers know how to look after their children i think if we paid more attention to ANIMALS we would know how to do things for ourselves as humans too bad animals didnt have control over us i would hate to see the outcome. Cheers.
-
- shawna
- - July 8, 2010 at 16:31:54
I would definatetly agree with the comments left above, What are we suppose to do just expect the animal to be left unattended. I feel some of the laws that we have on PEI are pathetic and the fact that the people that commit crimes get away with a slap on the wrist but it is ok to let an animal sit and possibly get ran over or killed by another animal i think that if people were more like animals we would have a better world dogs even know how to look after their puppies better then some mothers know how to look after their children i think if we paid more attention to ANIMALS we would know how to do things for ourselves as humans too bad animals didnt have control over us i would hate to see the outcome. Cheers.
-
- carol
- - July 8, 2010 at 16:31:53
i would never walk by a wild animal of any kind an i certainly would not call wild life to take them cause they have a one way trip n thats to animal heaven .NEVER WOULD I FORSAKE WILD LIFE ILL TAKE CHANCES ON GETTING A DIEASE THEY NEED US TO PROTECT THEM
