Statewide Iowa — Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources are urging people to leave what may appear to be orphaned baby animals out in the wild, alone. It comes as the wildlife baby season has arrived.
Karen Kinkead, Wildlife Diversity Program Coordinator for the Iowa DNR, says most mammals are largely nocturnal and that the mother usually finds a safe daytime hideout for her young while she sleeps or looks for food. As a result, Kinkead says it’s perfectly normal for the young to be alone or unattended during daylight hours.
She adds that most wildlife babies die soon after capture from the stress of being handled, talked to, and placed into unfamiliar surroundings.
(Courtesy fellow Community First Broadcasting station KUOO in Spirit Lake)
