818-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 22, 1995
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) —Many animals raise their
young during spring and summer.
If you come across one of those
young animals, it’s best to leave it
alone, according to wildlife spe
cialist in Penn State’s College of
Agricultural Sciences.
“People often encounter wild
life, particularly young animals, in
the spring,” said Dr. Margaret
Brittingham, associate professor
of wildlife resources. “Birds,
fawns and rabbits are the most fre
quently encountered animals.
“People who try to help animals
that seem to be wounded or aban
doned have good intentions,” she
said. “But often they wind up
doing more harm than good.
“Many people see a young,
flightless bird sitting alone and
decide to help by taking it inside,”
Brittingham said. “Problems soon'
arise because baby birds are very
difficult to raise.”
If you leave a bird where you
found it, the parents will come to
feed it. “It’s easy to think that a
bird that can’t fly is in trouble,”
she said. “In fact, young birds
often leave the nest when they
can’t truly fly, but can do a hop
ping half-flight. If you put them
back in the nest at this point,
they’ll hop right back out”
If you’re worried that a cat or
other animal might get the bird,
it’s okay to place it out of harm’s
way in a bush. The adult birds will
come back and feed it.
“If you can see the nest, it’s all
right to put the young bird back in
it,” Brittingham said. “It’s a myth
that if you touch a baby bird the
mother will never come back.”
If you discover a nest that’s
tipped over or fallen, pick it up,
put the young back in it and place
it in the tree. You also can make
an artificial nest from a small
basket and hang it as close to the
original nest as you can. The
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Leave Wildlife Wild
adults will find the young and
return to feed them.”
If the adult birds have been
killed, the young birds may need
help. “In that case, you may want
to intervene—but if you try to
raise the birds yourself, chances of
success are slim,” Brittingham
said. “Take orphaned birds to one
of the many wildlife rehabilitators
around the state.”
People also may find rabbit
nests during spring and summer.
“Rabbit nests usually are slight
indentations in the ground covered
with rabbit ha r,” Brittingham
said. “People who come across a
nest of baby rabbits often think the
babies have been abandoned, but
that’s not so. Rabbits nurse their
young only twice a day, early in
the morning and late in the after
noon. The rest of the time the
young rabbits are left by them
selves. If you find a nest, don’t
disturb it.”
Brittingham notes that rabbits
periodically return to check on
their young. “If the nest has been
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disturbed, the adult rabbit will
move it. Once my dog came upon
a rabbit’s nest. I got her away
from it and left the nest alone.
When we returned to that spot two
hours later, the young already had
been moved.”
People also may find fawns in
the woods. “Deer, like rabbits,
leave their young alone for long
periods of time,” she said. “So ii
you come upon a young animal in
the woods, don’t immediately
assume it’s been abandoned. It’s
more likely that the adult will
return later.”
Brittingham also urges people
to remember that you can be
injured trying to aid wildlife.
“By handling wild animals, you
put yourself at risk of being
scratched, bitten or even contract
ing a disease,” she said. “Rac
coons, for instance, often carry
rabies. Many people are exposed
to the disease each year by having
contact with a raccoon.
“The best policy is to leave
wildlife wild,” she said.
dietary changes your doctor has
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To register send your name, ad
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Livestock Judging, Ist place team, Newport FFA: from
left, Bart Gill, Mary Jane Wright, Becky Myers, and Bradley
Gill.
The Newport FFA was success
ful in placing first in the recent
Livestock Judging Contest held
during the 66th Annual FFA Acti
vities Week and Summer Conven
tion at Penn State University.
This is the first time an FFA
team from Perry County has ever
received a first place in the live
stock judging. TTic team will rep
resent Pennsylvania during the
National FFA Livestock Judging
Contest to be held during the Na
tional FFA Convention on Nov. 9.
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430 Concrete Ave., Leola, PA
717-656-2016
In preparation for this once-in
a-Ufetime opportunity, the team
plans on practicing judging in as
many contests and fairs that are
possible prior to their trip to Kan
sas City. The team members are
Brad and Bart Gill, sons of Mr.
and Mrs. Gary Gill; Becky Myers,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Danny
Miller; and Marijane Wright,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John
Wright.
The Newport FFA adviser is
Virgil E. Gutshall. .
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