If you care, leave them there!

Every spring it's the same old story; people kidnapping fawns and other baby animals from their parents in the wild. When that happens so many things go wrong, it is almost impossible to put it all straight again.

No matter how often and how forcefully wildlife officials say it, some people still can't seem to get it: For the sake of wildlife babies, they are best left in the wild.

Each spring Tracy Leonhardy, who is a state-licensed wildlife rehabilitator near Sisters, receives 20 to 30 baby wildlife animals from well-meaning - but misinformed and misguided - people. Gary Landers, also a licensed rehabilitator ends up with baby owls and hawks mistakenly picked up by well-meaning but misguided people.

Moreover, each year wildlife, wildlife enforcement officers, rehabbers and the general public pay the unnecessary price for these well-meaning but inappropriate and misguided actions.

"Only if you see the parent dead or dying should you assume a young animal by itself is orphaned," said State Wildlife Veterinarian Colin Gillin. "If you encounter this situation, or see an animal clearly in distress or danger, contact your local ODFW (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), or OSP (Oregon State Police) dispatch office, 388-6300."

Corey Heath, wildlife biologist in the Bend office of ODFW says that removing or capturing ("fawn-napping") wildlife and keeping them in captivity without a permit are considered Class A misdemeanors, and punishable by up to one year in jail and a $6,250 fine. Holding birds and marine mammals are also violations of state and federal laws.

Last year's debacle involving an albino deer that was taken home by a well-meaning family and became a family "pet" over in the Valley was frightful. By the time the family was through crying over the state taking the fawn from them, and the lawyers shouting back and forth the situation was a nightmare.

According to state law, mule deer are owned by the State of Oregon. No one can harvest or take into captivity a deer, elk or pronghorn, etc., etc., without authorization. And that means taking a baby animal out of the wild for ANY reason.

Rarely can John Q. Citizen stir up the correct formula to feed a baby animal, whether it be a baby bat, mule deer, elk, bobcat, raccoon or whatever. Within 24 hours, the baby is usually in big trouble biologically, and in that space of time, the person who has the animal in his or her possession is in big trouble with the law.

Even if you could successfully raise a fawn, by the time it becomes a teenager it will be imprinted on you, thinking you are its parent, and later on, its mate. It will be a mess.

There are sad stories regarding so called "pet" deer striking children and severely injuring them and "pet" bucks when they mature jabbing big holes in people. Children and adults cry their eyes out and get very angry when "their" animals are removed from their possession and they are forced to pay a heavy fine for their misplaced "kindness."

Already this year, an Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division investigation resulted in an OSP trooper citing 28-year-old Gabriel S. Maranov of southwest Oregon with a Class A misdemeanor charge of Unlawful Possession of a Black Bear Cub. The unfortunate bear cub will spend the rest of its life in captivity because it was removed from the wild and raised by people.

ODFW, Oregon State Police and the state's licensed wildlife rehabilitators remind everyone to live by the motto "If you care, leave them there."