WILD ANIMAL WARNING

4/16/25

As spring sets in and more people head outside, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is reminding everyone to leave baby birds and young animals alone when they encounter them in the wild.

Well-intentioned people may believe they're helping nature by taking possession of young rabbits, fawn deer, baby birds and other animals that appear to be orphaned or abandoned.  However, in nearly all cases, human intervention does more to hurt animals than to help.  Young birds and animals are still being fed and cared for by their parents, who usually stay away from nests and dens if humans are nearby.

The Illinois Wildlife Code provides legal protection for wildlife.  Keeping wild animals as pets, or to raise wild animals believed to have been abandoned is prohibited.  Additionally, agency responses to incidents involving illegal captive wildlife can be costly and divert time from other important work.

Anyone with questions about care for possibly abandoned wildlife should contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator before removing or relocating wildlife to be sure it's in the best interest of the animal and ensure the rehabber has the room and expertise to treat it.

To learn more about orphaned animals; potential wildlife conflicts; and keeping people, pets, and wildlife safe, visit Wildlife Illinois.