When we are in the bush it is common to come across baby animals of many shapes and forms.
Mostly, this will be in the form of the usual sightings: a warthog sow with her piglets, a giraffe and her calf, or if you are lucky even a porcupine with her porcupettes. Unfortunately, though, we also tend to come across the odd young animal in distress that has fallen out of a nest or ended up on the floor of a bungalow or porch. When this happens, it tends to pull on the heart-strings and causes immediate concern for anyone witnessing it - a natural instinct in humans. Usually, the mother comes down and collects the youngster, if given the time, and what we want to avoid is intervening with this process, as this can have disastrous results for the young animals!
The most common things that we do wrong in these scenarios are to immediately approach the animal to get a better view, to pick it up (especially bare-handed) and/or to feed it. While these are natural instincts as we try to care for the animal, they can be extremely dangerous for both parties and cause a lot more harm than good. Feeding, in particular, is the most serious of the three. Regardless of whether we think we are helping the animal, we may be causing a new man-made problem or accidentally making an already man-made problem worse by immediately becoming hands-on or attempting to feed it - and often feeding it incorrectly.
It is important to notify management immediately to come and assess the situation before diving in to “rescue” any animal in distress. This is a crucial step in giving the animal the best chance of a successful family reunion without intervention. Bear in mind that the animal may not actually be alone (the mother may truly abandon the youngster(s) out of fight-or-flight response to you “predating” on their offspring), and that the baby animal itself could be dangerous (an upset baby animal still has sharp teeth and could potentially be carrying diseases). Also remember that if it is genuinely in distress and alone, being approached by a human will be extremely stressful for that animal, particularly if it ends up being handled. This can cause severe behavioural and physiological reactions, possibly causing a lot more harm than good to that animal (and possibly to you!) and may severely reduce the chances of a successful family reunion.
Every situation will be unique and have a different outcome, but the best overall outcome is always that the animal is reunited with its family with as little intervention and handling as possible. Although this may seem impossible, it happens regularly that young animals fall from their nests, and most of the time the adults will recover the youngsters safely if simply given the opportunity to do so in their own time, as they would have if we did not intervene. To assist with this, we have put together some general guidelines to follow.
If you find a baby animal in distress:
- Keep an eye on the animal and call management/ Reception/ the Conservation team as quickly as you can for assistance. Someone will come and assess the situation.
- Do not handle the animal unless you are asked to by management or you have no other options (e.g. an immediate life-or-death, man-made situation, like if it has fallen into a bucket of water and it has no other way of surviving unless you intervene).
- Do not forget that these are wild animals that can carry diseases, have sharp teeth and claws, and will be scared and stressed. It is imperative that you prioritise safety for all and keep a safe distance (no matter how small it may seem!). If you absolutely have to handle the animal and have no other option (which would be an extreme rarity), wear gloves or use a thick towel or blanket, and place it in a box - do not continue holding it unnecessarily.
- Remember the animal may be injured, especially if it has fallen from a height, so handling it may cause further injury, stress or even death. Again, handling is a last resort and should be avoided at all costs! Rather call management to come and assess the situation.
- Remember that touching any animal with your bare hands will leave your scent on that animal, and that may severely impact the likelihood of the mother re-accepting that youngster, thus jeopardising its chances of being returned to its natural life.
Please DO NOT attempt to feed or give water to the animal! The most common causes of death in these animals are being fed the wrong thing or being fed in a way that is dangerous, causing aspiration (drowning through feeding/watering, which is common with the incorrect use of syringes, especially). Feeding of any animal causes further man-made problems that must be actively managed, and as such even feeding a baby squirrel will cause knock-on effects including it needing to be taken out of the wild completely!
Please do not keep the animal! The animal will have a decent chance of being returned to the nest and living a natural life if you do not intervene - and this is always the top priority and best overall outcome! If that does not happen, there are accredited rehabilitation centres that we will call for assistance, if need be. Remember, any handling or feeding reduces the possibility of the animal being successfully returned to the wild!
Our ultimate goal is to be as fair to these animals as possible, and to prioritise a natural life. In nature, baby animals in distress are usually recovered naturally. We need to allow the opportunity for the adults to recover the youngsters on their own, and usually all this requires is providing a quiet space and adequate time for the little one to alert the adults that it has fallen out of the nest. Ultimately, though, please always alert management so that they can make sure the adults are given a fair chance to recover the little one on their own, and in their own time!
Out of interest, the most common mistake for feeding is using COWS MILK. Cow’s milk can kill a small mammal very quickly and causes immense discomfort and illness in the interim. Cow’s milk will undoubtedly result in a trip to a veterinarian and will land the animal in a rehabilitation centre, if it survives! It is better not to handle or feed at all.
Words by Tess Woollgar. Images courtesy of Tess Woollgar