NEWARK, Del/ This is the
time of year when many people are
tempted to “rescue” injured or
orphaned wild animals.
Dr. Paul Meckley, small animal
specialist at the University of
Delaware, says it’s'important to
make sure the animal has really
been abandoned before you come
to its rescue. In many cases, the
mother is simply out foraging for
food and will return shortly.
In the case of an injury, Meckley
also advises against attempting a
rescue.
Rescuing a wild animal often
means forcing it to endure a slow,
possibly painful death when, left
alone, it would either be cared for
by its mother or be quickly
dispatched by Mother Nature.
Besides being in their own best
interest to leave such “foundlings”
where you find them, it’s also safer
for humans to do so.
The American Veterinary
Medical Association discourages
the keeping of exotic or wild
animals as pets. One of the
association’s main concerns is the
threat of disease. Many wild
animals such as raccoons and
skunks, and exotics like ferrets
and monkeys, are carriers of
rabies and other diseases.
The potential for rabies isn’t to
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be taken lightly when you’re
handling a foundling from the
woods. Meckley warns that even
apparently healthy animals can be
carriers of the disease
He cites the case of one monkey
that incubated rabies for 12 months
before showing symptopis.
A raccoon in South Carolina
incubated the disease for nine
months before showing symptoms
By that tune it had already bitten
or scratched 25 people, all of whom
had to undergo extensive treat
ment.
Because of the threat of rabies,
the Delaware Veterinary Medical
Association recently came out in
favor of banning the sale of exotic
pets in the state.
Among other concerns is the fact
that many of these animals are
endangered species. If one of them
gets sick, you almost always need
a specialist to treat it. And, says
Meckley, most people haven’t the
foggiest idea of what kind of care
and treatment such unusual pets
require.
Malnutrition is widespread
among both adopted wild and
exotic animals. Free to forage for
food, these animals instinctively
know how to balance their diets.
They don’t have this chance in a
cage.
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Meckley knows of one case in
volving a spider monkey whose
owners brought tht-ir pet to a
veterinary when it became'crip
pled with several broken bones.
The. problem was due to extreme
decalcitication; the couple was
feeding the monkey nothing but
bananas.
'’"■'So few people have experience m
caring for wild animals that well
over 80 percent of those rescued
die.
A common catu>e ji
aspiration pneumonia. In this
terrible, lingering death, the baby
animal doesn’t swallow fast
enough, or can’t swallow, so the
food forced into its mouth or beak
enters the lungs. By comparison,
most deaths in nature are mer
cifully swift.
Wild animals don’t respond well
to discipline, which is something
else to consider when you’re
thinking of keeping some furry
baby for a pet. You can never be
sure one of these animals is fully
tame, says Meckley.
In the midst of a disciplinary
attempt, they often become
vicious, revert to wild behavior
and attack their owners.
Youngsters ai;e likely to be rough
when playing, which is why small
children are bitten more
frequently than adults.
For all these reasons, Meckley
says it’s better to let nature take
care of its own when you run
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across what looks like an injured
or abandoned animal in the wild
Only in unusual circumstances
should the effort be made to pursue
one. In such cases, your local
SPCA or Humane Society often has
the names of people qualified to
care for them.
If you do try to help one that’s
injured, the most important things
is to keep it warm. Sixty-watt light
bulbs are an excellent source of
heat. A hot water bottle may be
used instead, if you take care to see
it doesn’t touch the animal directly
and burn it.
A cold, weak baby should only be
fed liquids at first, then be allowed
to work its way up to a variety of
food 1 : In the case of dehvdration.
Showing workshop
scheduled for youth
LANCASTER An Eastern
Regional Fitting and Showing
Workshop will be held at Guernsey
Sales Pavilion, on June 18 at 9:30
a.m.
The workshop, co-sponsored by
the Pennsylvania Guernsey
Breeders’ Association and the
Pennsylvania Holstein
Association, is open to any youth
who has a dairy project, regar
dless of breed affiliation.
Featured will be demonstrations
by outstanding dairy showmen and
fitters on preparing dairy cattle for
shows.
Each participant will work with
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 23,1981—A37
warmth and an oral rehydration
formula prescribed by a vet are
the first steps in treatment. In all
cases, animals should be examined
by a veterinarian to determine
their overall health.
The vet can also give you tips on
feeding and care. Some don’t
charge for the medical care of
orphaned wild animals, but don’t
assume the service will be free.
One last point: tamed animals
cannot be returned to the wild.
They won’t know how to survive.
So if you do try to'“rescue” one,
remember that your mam goal in
doing so is to help it survive, and
then quickly return it to its natural
habitat.
a calf under trained supervision.
The calves for the event will be
provided by local breeders.
Among the day’s activities will
be a pizza party to start at 5 p.m.
Families are invited. A fitting and
showing contest for the par
ticipants will conclude the event.
Participants are asked to bring a
lunch; drinks will be provided.
Also bring clippers, showhalter,
and a change of clothing if
possible.
All interested should contact the
Guernsey Breeders’ Association,
2497 Lincoln Hwy. East, Lan
caster. Fee is $5.
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