Baby wildlife usually should be left alone

Spring is breeding season for most DuPage wildlife, and the staff and volunteers at Willowbrook Wildlife Center, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's native-wildlife rehabilitation and education center in Glen Ellyn, remind people, "If you care, leave them there."

Unlike humans, most young wild animals are routinely alone for hours at a time. Fearing they're abandoned, many well-meaning people bring them to Willowbrook Wildlife Center, but in most cases, the animals should remain in the wild.

"It's natural to want to help young animals that seem to be alone, but unnecessary intervention can harm them," says Sandy Fejt, the center's manager. "Willowbrook cares for hundreds of young animals every spring but helps even more by teaching people how to interact with wildlife at home and in natural areas."

Before approaching any wild animal, people should contact Willowbrook at 630 942-6200 or willowbrook@dupageforest.org. The center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 525 S. Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Employees answer questions between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. and recordings offer information after hours. Advice is also available at www.dupageforest.org/livingwithwildlife.

This time of year, Willowbrook commonly receives calls about songbirds. Fledglings, which have most of their feathers, may spend time on the ground while learning to fly but are usually under the watchful eyes of their parents. Younger, featherless nestlings spend time alone, too, as their parents look for food. If they fall from their nest, Willowbrook suggests that people return the nestlings, if possible, because they cannot fly and their parents can't retrieve them. Their parents will not reject them.

Tree squirrels and Eastern cottontails also generate concern. If a young squirrel falls from its nest, the female will usually retrieve it, but if it's still alone after 24 hours, people should contact Willowbrook for advice. With cottontails, the female only visits her nest at night, so it's fine to return young to the nest if they squirm out of it during the day; their mothers will not reject them. Rabbits frequently make their nests in lawns, so homeowners should take care to keep pets away and help children observe without harming the animals.