During this time of year, a lot of young wildlife are out and about. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks says they have received many calls recently from people that see young wildlife that they believe is abandoned or injured, but that usually is not the case. FWP Information and Education Program Manager Vivaca Crowser explains.

“Often times, they have been left alone for a bit of time,” Crowser said. “This is completely normal, but it is also normal to see that and wonder if everything is ok. The best piece of advice is to give animals space and let them be. The mother is going to return almost every time. It is really normal behavior for them to leave their young alone for a period of time.”

According to Crowser, keeping distance from young wildlife is super important.

“What can happen, if you get too close, is you can add extra stress to an animal that is already stressed in the first few months of it’s life and we want to do everything we can to minimize that,” Crowser said. “Keeping your distance and also keeping distance with your pets is important. This time of year, it is especially important to keep your dogs on a leash and to keep them close by.”

Crwoser says animals picked up by people have the potential to be abandoned if human scent is transferred to them. FWP does not accept, hold or rehabilitate deer and elk because the animals rarely survive the stress of captivity and because of concerns with the spread of disease. For more information about encountering wildlife in Montana, visit this website.

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