Here’s Why You Should Not Try to ‘Save’ a Baby Deer or Rabbit That Is All Alone- Wildlife Rescuer Explains

Humans are not designed to ramble around in the wild without protection as there are predators in the jungle. But when it comes to wild animals, their bodies are designed to roam freely in the wilderness. Humans should refrain from disturbing the natural food chain, even if it’s for a little kindness. Oftentimes, when people spot a young bunny, or fawn, sprawled under a tree or nestling in a bush, they interpret that the animal has been abandoned by its mom and jump in to rescue it. But a wildlife rescuer, u/2SP00KY4ME, urged people in a Reddit post, to never try saving a young animal because they might be unintentionally “kidnapping it from its mom.”

“This has happened way too many times at our local wildlife rescue. People find baby deer or rabbits with no parents nearby and think they're abandoned, so they bring them in to try to ‘save them,’” the wildlife rescuer shared. They added that trying to rescue a baby deer or rabbit might cause more harm than good. “Infant rabbits without their mothers don't do well. Even in professional care settings, they have about a 90% mortality rate,” they described. So when a rescuer tries to save a young animal, they may be forcibly separating it from its mom and reducing its survival chance.

The Redditor also appealed to people to never try to take care of a baby animal by themselves. First of all, these babies rely on specific milk only their mom can provide. Secondly, they are not meant to be human pets. Living with humans will make them unaccustomed to surviving in the wild. And since they’re created to live in the wild, they won’t survive long enough without getting accustomed to it.

Take white-tailed deer fawns for instance. National Park Service (NPS) describes that they have invented a peculiar routine to protect their babies while the adults go out in search of food. These deer are camouflaged brown with white spots. While the moms go out to scour food, the babies are trained to hide behind tall grasses or shrubs to avoid catching the attention of predators. Even if someone comes close to them, they lay still and silent, except when their mom comes around to nurse them during the day. However, people often misinterpret these lone babies as if they’ve been abandoned. But that’s not the case.

“Wild parents can’t hire a babysitter, so most young animals spend a lot of time on their own well before they can fend for themselves,” Falyn Owens, extension biologist at the Wildlife Commission, told Spectrum Local News. “When the mother returns, sometimes many hours later, she expects to find her young where she left them.” Owens shared that the best thing one can do in most cases is to leave the animal alone, put it back, or call a wildlife rehabilitator for advice. “If a fawn doesn't move when you approach, it's trying to hide. Simply leaving the area will make the fawn more comfortable and allow an opportunity for the mother to approach,” NPS advises.

As the Reddit user, Owens, and other experts said, rescuing may not always be the best thing for the baby animal. “Even if death is guaranteed is it really our place to do anything? It's sad but the circle of life,” u/killa_nilla aptly summarized it in a comment. u/ravenpotter3 shared another brilliant idea, “At most I’d you want to help check back later in the day to see if they are still there. You shouldn’t hover over them or take them unless the mom does not come back for a long time.” But in exceptional cases such as “if a fawn is found next to its dead mother, is visibly injured, or is seeking out your attention and bleating in distress. In these instances, it’s best to call your local wildlife service for help so that they can properly assess the situation and work out the best next steps,” suggests IFL Science.