What To Do When Wildlife Gets Too Close

Photo Courtesy: Sharron Tyrrell. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2014

Last week we published Sharron Tyrrell’s amazing photos of a mother turtle laying her eggs in a sandy spot along River Road in Severance. That got us thinking, what is the correct protocol when finding young wildlife  -- out of their comfort zone -- in the spring and summer. A little Googling and we discovered this excellent article from the NY DEC. It answers all of the obvious questions. The Headline: take a hands off approach. From The DEC:

The arrival of spring and summer also means the arrival of newborn and just-hatched wildlife. These young soon venture into the world on shaky legs or fragile wings. While most are learning survival from one or both parents, some normally receive little or no parental care. Often, wild animal parents stay away from their young when people are near. For all of these young animals, the perils of survival are a natural part of life in the wild. Some will not survive. However, young wildlife that learn well and are the most fit usually live the longest.

You can read more, here.