An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Avoid the temptation to “rescue" a fawn or other baby animal from the wild. You just might be taking it away from its mother.
Wildlife biologists recommend leaving wildlife alone that appear to be abandoned. While well-intentioned people may believe they are helping an animal by “rescuing" it, they may be doing more harm than good. This is because baby wildlife found in the wild are virtually always not really abandoned.
White-tailed deer, rabbits and other species of wildlife leave their young for extended periods of time each day, only to return and take care of them. Many bird species can only learn to fly by experimentation. This includes falling out of the nest. If a person discovers a young mammal or bird, they should not handle it and should keep children and pets away from it. Staying away from the young animal reduces stress on the animal and increases the likelihood that the mother will return to care for it.
Landowners may encounter deer fawns and ground-dwelling birds and other mammals while mowing fields or walking around their property. Consider cutting back on mowing until later in the season because fawns lie out in the fields for the first two weeks after they are born. Other animals that use grasslands are species of concern and of high importance, and mowing during the breeding season can be detrimental. Rabbits may continue nesting into the summer months. Homeowners who discover nesting rabbits in their yard might consider placing a flag or other marker to provide a visual cue to avoid that spot when mowing. From rabbit nests to newly fledged birds to white-tailed deer fawns found curled up in cover and more, resist the urge to take matters into your own hands.
Wildlife should only be removed if it is in obvious need of medical care for immediate transfer to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. Certain species of wildlife can be taken as pets only if you have a captive wildlife permit. Under state law, it is illegal to keep high-risk rabies wildlife as pets. A licensed wildlife rehabilitator can evaluate and treat an animal to release it back into its natural habitat. Rehabilitators can also help where the mother animal is confirmed dead, such as a road-killed deer. At no time should a person “adopt" a fawn or other baby animal as a pet.
Image Source: ODFW Leave Wildlife Wild Campaign
Keep Wildlife Wild
Did You Know? It is illegal to remove wildlife from the wild unless you are a permitted Rehabilitator. Please leave baby animals alone.
Please contact our Information Center at 1-800-858-1549 or Info.Center@ky.gov if you have any questions not answered in our FAQs below.
If you remove young wildlife from the wild, you are risking citation, and a captive wildlife permit will not be issued for illegally taken wildlife. These animals should be left in the wild or returned there, and legal recourse for injured and orphaned wildlife is the prompt transfer of these animals to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator.
See the law: 301 KAR 2:081
Learn more about the transportation and holding of live native wildlife.
Wildlife that has become used to human presence and activity lose their natural fear of people. For example, if someone leaves out food to feed raccoons, the raccoons may come to see people as a food source. They may approach people for food or allow people to come close. These raccoons have become habituated to people or used to the presence of people through repeated exposure.
When wildlife become habituated, they can harm themselves and people. In the example with the raccoons, they may approach other people for food or cause damage to property. The raccoons may be seen as a nuisance and removed. The raccoons may also bite or scratch people and pets in fear or self-defense, even if they are habituated. Raccoons can carry rabies, which is a serious threat to people, pets and livestock. Any mammal that bites a person must be euthanized and tested for rabies.
Kentucky is home to many incredible species of wildlife. Help keep them wild by observing and admiring them from afar.
Animals can carry diseases that are harmful to people. Diseases that pass from animals to people are known as zoonotic diseases.
One example of a zoonotic disease is rabies. Rabies is a virus that can affect any mammal, including people. The virus that causes rabies is transmitted via saliva and is 100% fatal in people if left untreated. Wildlife account for most cases of rabies in animals. Raccoons, skunks, bats, coyotes and foxes are the most common carriers of rabies in Kentucky. Animals may not look ill or show any symptoms of the disease, but still carry the virus. To protect yourself and your pets from rabies, do not approach, touch or handle wildlife.
People can also inadvertently spread diseases between wildlife. One such example is chronic wasting disease (CWD), which is a fatal neurologic disease that affects white-tailed deer, elk and other members of the deer family. One of the leading ways CWD is spread is through the movement of deer. If someone illegally takes a deer from the wild and moves it to another location, that person can be spreading CWD if the relocated deer is infected. When Kentucky Fish and Wildlife discovers an illegally held deer, it must be confiscated and euthanized.
Removing other species of wild animals and moving them elsewhere also increases the risks of spreading diseases such as rabbit hemorrhagic disease in rabbits, distemper in raccoons, chytridiomycosis in amphibians and more.
Please contact our Information Center at 1-800-858-1549 or Info.Center@ky.gov if you have any questions not answered below.
If you found an injured animal, contact a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. A licensed rehabilitator can evaluate and treat an animal to release back into a natural habitat. If you have found an injured deer, contact the county's regional biologist.
Wildlife biologists recommend leaving wildlife alone that appear to be abandoned. Nearly always, baby wildlife found in the wild are not really abandoned. White-tailed deer, rabbits, and other species of wildlife leave their young for extended periods of time each day, only to return and take care of them. Observe the animal from afar, checking back at later times to determine the animal's status. Unless the parent is observed to have been injured or killed, or the baby has been injured, it should be left alone to minimize stress on the animal and likelihood of predation, and to prevent exposing the would-be rescuer to any diseases that wildlife can transmit to people.
If you have found a baby bird, determine if it is a nestling or a fledgling. Fledglings will typically have feathers and make short flights or hop around on the ground. They are learning to fly and rarely go back to the nest at this stage of development. The parent is usually nearby helping their fledging to feed and learn to fly. Leave the fledgling alone and watch it from afar for its parents to return.
If the baby bird is sparsely feathered and not hopping, flitting around, or walking, it is probably a nestling that may have fallen from its nest. If you can locate the nest, place the nestling immediately back into the nest and leave the nest alone. If you are unable to find the nest and you have watched the bird from afar for most of the day and the parents have not returned, you may contact a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. Bear in mind that many wildlife rehabilitation facilities face resource constraints and may not be able to accept new birds, which can lead to the birds being euthanized. Ultimately its best to let nature be natural and leave wildlife alone.
Lone fawns are not abandoned. The mother is typically away feeding, and the fawn is hiding from predators and waiting for the return of its mother. Unless the mother is dead nearby (such as hit by a car), the fawn should be left alone. If the mother is dead nearby or the fawn is visibly injured, contact a permitted wildlife rehabilitator.
Wildlife rehabilitators cannot rehabilitate fawns from counties within a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Surveillance Zone. This is to prevent the spread of CWD.
If you have found a baby skunk or raccoon, do not approach, or handle these animals, as they may have rabies. Rabies is a virus that can be deadly to people and pets and is spread through the saliva of an infected animal. Keep your distance from skunks and raccoons, being careful not to be bitten, scratched, licked, or come into direct contact with their saliva. Mother raccoons and skunks may leave their young behind while they search for food. However, if she doesn't, it is crucial to understand that intervening may not always result in a positive outcome. “Rescuing" baby raccoons and skunks and attempting to raise them yourself is illegal and can lead to challenges, as they may not adapt well to being returned to the wild, sometimes becoming dependent on humans or even being considered nuisances due to a lack of natural fear. If the mother doesn't return after a day, you may contact a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. Bear in mind that many wildlife rehabilitation facilities face resource constraints and may not be able to accept new animals, which can lead to the skunks and raccoons being euthanized. Ultimately its best to let nature be natural and leave the animals alone.
If you have found an injured skunk or raccoon, do not approach or handle these animals, as they may have rabies. Rabies is a virus that can be deadly to people and pets and is spread through the saliva of an infected animal. Keep your distance from skunks and raccoons, being careful not to be bitten, scratched, licked, or come into direct contact with their saliva. Contact a permitted wildlife rehabilitator if you have found an injured skunk or raccoon. If the raccoon or skunk is acting strangely or appears ill, report the animal to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife by calling the Information Center at 1-800-858-1549.
If the baby squirrel has fallen from a nest or a tree containing a nest has been cut down, try to give the mother squirrel an opportunity to reclaim her young and transfer them to a new nest. It is natural to want to help, but wild animals, including squirrels, typically fare best when left undisturbed.
Mother squirrels may return for their babies to relocate them to a new nest. However, if she doesn't, it is crucial to understand that intervening may not always result in a positive outcome. "Rescuing" baby squirrels and attempting to raise them yourself is illegal and can lead to challenges, as they may not adapt well to being returned to the wild, sometimes becoming dependent on humans or even being considered nuisances due to a lack of natural fear. Furthermore, many wildlife rehabilitation facilities face resource constraints and may not be able to accept new animals, which can lead to the squirrels being euthanized. While you have the option of contacting a permitted wildlife rehabilitator, ultimately, it is best to let nature be natural and leave the squirrels alone.
If you find a nest of baby rabbits or a baby rabbit alone, leave it alone, as its mother is often nearby. Mother rabbits often leave their babies alone and return to them throughout the day. Rabbits have a low tolerance for stress, and the presence of people is very stressful for them.
It is crucial to understand that intervening may not always result in a positive outcome. "Rescuing" baby rabbits and attempting to raise them yourself is illegal and can lead to challenges, as they may not adapt well to being returned to the wild, sometimes becoming dependent on humans or even being considered nuisances due to a lack of natural fear. Furthermore, many wildlife rehabilitation facilities face resource constraints and may not be able to accept new animals, which can lead to the rabbits being euthanized. While you have the option of contacting a permitted wildlife rehabilitator, ultimately, its best to let nature be natural and leave the rabbits alone.
Wildlife should only be removed from their habitat if it is in obvious need of medical care for immediate transfer to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. Certain species of wildlife can be taken as pets only if you have a captive wildlife permit. Under state law, it is illegal to keep high-risk rabies wildlife as pets. A licensed wildlife rehabilitator can evaluate and treat an animal to release it back into its natural habitat.
No, it is illegal to remove young wildlife from the wild. If you remove young wildlife from the wild, you are risking citation, and a captive wildlife permit will not be issued for illegally taken wildlife. These animals should be left in the wild or returned there, and legal recourse for injured and orphaned wildlife is the prompt transfer of these animals to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator.
Certain species of wildlife can be taken as pets only if you have a captive wildlife permit. Under state law, it is illegal to keep high-risk rabies wildlife as pets or to remove young wildlife from the wild. Learn more about the transportation and holding of live and native wildlife.
No, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife does not treat or care for injured or orphaned wildlife. Only permitted wildlife rehabilitators can treat or care for injured and orphaned wildlife.
The job of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is to protect, conserve, and enhance Kentucky’s fish and wildlife resources. As part of this, we protect the natural processes that allow these animals to live out their wild, natural lives. Death, disease, and injury are a natural part of the cycle of life in the wild. In some cases, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife aids in the recovery of vulnerable or endangered species, but with the long-term vision that populations of these animals will eventually thrive without human interference.