You may do more harm than good

PHOENIX -  You may be tempted to pick up a baby bird or other young wild animal that appears to be on its own, but this is not a good idea. Recently, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has received several calls and visits from good Samaritans who are trying to do the right thing by "rescuing" baby birds. However, they were actually causing more harm than good.

"If you see a baby animal on its own, don't assume it's orphaned and in need of your help," says Joe Yarchin, urban and watchable wildlife project manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. "Usually, the parents are not far away. They may be out gathering food or taking a short break from their young, and if you remove the baby, then you're actually creating a problem."

At this time of year, many baby birds can be found on the ground. This is typically just a normal part of learning to fly. During this time, dogs, cats and even people can pose a danger, so if you see a baby bird and a parent nearby, then you may want to remove pets and people from the area, so the parent can care for its young while it's on the ground.

"Also, remember," Yarchin says, "If you handle an animal and get it used to human presence, you may doom it from being able to survive in the wild in the future."

"There is almost never an occasion when you should remove a baby wild animal from its natural environment," says Elissa Ostergaard, an urban wildlife specialist at the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Tucson office. "It is almost always better to call a wildlife rehabilitator to assess a wild animal and decide whether to move it or not. If you've already picked up a young animal, then please put it back exactly where you found it, where its mother can find it."

Young animals are often left alone for hours at a time while their parents gather food. However, if an animal is shivering, sneezing, very lethargic or obviously injured, then you should call a wildlife rehabilitator. The Arizona Game and Fish Department has a list of wildlife rehabilitators and their phone numbers available at the department's Web site at azgfd.gov/urbanwildlife. This section of the department's Web site also contains details about how to deal with truly injured, sick or orphaned wildlife.