Every year many baby birds and mammals die not because of our human destructiveness, but because of our good intentions.

People "rescue" fallen robins, "lost" deer fawns, "beached" seals and many others while the poor animal's parents could only watch from a safe distance.

The parental duties of a bird, deer, seal, or whatever are very strenuous and time consuming and so they leave the babies behind in safety while they go out foraging.

Fawns will lay quietly for hours and have no scent, so they are safe from predators. A mother seal may leave her pup on the beach for a couple of hours while she fishes nearby. The pup will lay still and emulate a rock until mom returns. Even bothering these animals while they are waiting for mom can be dangerous to them.

The seal pup, for example, driven into the water by curious onlookers may become lost or eaten by a shark. If you find a baby bird or mammal that looks to be in good shape, leave it alone unless it is in immediate danger.

If you have the time, withdraw to a distance and watch  to see if the parent returns. If possible, call a wildlife rehabber before moving the animal. In many cases you can even remove the danger rather than the animal - drive off a cat or other predator, for example, or urge people to stay away from a beached seal. If you must rescue a bird or mammal, please handle it as little as possible. Cuddling a bird and making baby talk sounds to it may seem soothing to you, but it is terrifying to the bird. This kind of stress can kill the patient outright, or make its treatment and recovery more difficult.

Put the patient in a covered box with air holes. Keep it in a quiet place at a comfortable temperature. Don't keep opening the box to check the bird or show all your friends and neighbors. Get the bird to a rehabber as soon as possible. 

• Be aware that any wildlife species can cause injury or transmit disease to you.
• If you cannot safely capture it, call us for assistance.
• Note the exact location found.
• Place it in a ventilated cardboard box in a warm, quiet area.
• Keep human contact to a minimum.
• Call our pager: 503-338-3954. Leave your phone number and wait on the phone until the number is registered by a sound. It is possible to call our facility at 503-338-0331, but we may not be near the phone - we always answer the pager. For this same reason, please do not use e-mail to inform us of an emergency, use the pager!

Do not attempt to care for the wildlife yourself. Offer it water, but please do not give it any food.

If you find young wildlife that you think is abandoned, make certain it is truly orphaned. The parents may be nearby but not visible. Call us before removing any young wildlife from its location