Colorado wildlife officials are asking people to fight their most basic instinct this spring: Don’t pick up baby animals.
As the temperatures warm up, a number of newborn critters have begun to emerge across Colorado. But experts warn those cute babies could carry a host of diseases that can be deadly to humans and their pets.
“If you see a baby raccoon that appears to have lost its mother, your first reaction is to pick it up and help it,” said Deb Adamson, Environmental Health Supervisor at the Weld County Health Department, “However, by touching, feeding, or rescuing a wild animal, you may do more harm than good.”
If an animal appears to be abandoned, his or her mother will often return several hours later. Experts say the animal’s best chance for survival is to be raised by its own parents in its natural habitat.
Health officials offered a few tips for encounters with wildlife.
- Don’t feed wildlife.
- Fight the urge to approach pick up orphaned babies. The parents may not return if humans are close by.
- Wash your hands after working outside in areas where animals live.
- Keep pet vaccinations up-to-date.
- If you discover wildlife that appears to be sick, injured or orphaned, contact your local Animal Control Officer, Colorado Parks and Wildlife or a local veterinary office.
