Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

If you live in an area where urban life and wildlife intersect, you may find baby animals—like birds or fawns—in the open, and believe they need your help. But as biologist Wendy Connally says: not everything is as it seems.

15—Maybe the baby bird is learning to fly, or maybe it’s about to be fed by a parent. Or, maybe fawns are placed there by the parents, and left for some time while the parents go forage and feed so that they can keep up their strength to raise that baby to full size.

Wendy recommends giving these babies a wide berth so their parents feel safe returning to them. But there’s another reason to keep your distance.

17— It’s especially important for animals that might be preyed upon by predators with teeth and a good sense of smell, that we don’t put our scent next to something that we’re trying to protect. Because those predators can smell that scent and it makes them very curious.

Predator curiosity may spell danger for baby animals. If you do come across a baby or adult animal that is clearly injured, contact a wildlife rehabilitator.

15— We have a list on our website of wildlife rehabilitators that have been permitted by Texas parks and Wildlife department. Typically those rehabilitators are focused around urban areas where we do see that interaction between wildlife and people more often.

That’s our show for today…The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series and funds conservation projects in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.