Young wild animals don’t need to be ‘rescued’ in a wildfire, officials say. How to help
When fire officials saw a tiny cub alone while wildfires raged through the area, the little bear/ scurried up a tree.
That bear was likely going to be reunited with its mom — as long as humans didn’t interfere.
Wildlife officials in the West are asking people to stop trying to save young animals during wildfires, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
The animals usually aren’t alone, and taking them out of the wild could be dangerous.
“A young animal you see on its own usually isn’t orphaned, so don’t take it out of the wild,” wildlife officials said Wednesday on Facebook. “Its parent should be back when it’s safe — when people aren’t around.”
Wildfires are raging through parts of the West. In Oregon, the Bootleg Fire was sparked by lightning and has grown to 399,359 acres and is less than 40% contained, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
Multiple wildfires in California have grown in size over the past several days. The Dixie Fire near Butte and Plumas counties grew overnight Wednesday to 85,000 acres, according to The Sacramento Bee. The Tamarack Fire in Alpine County is so large, it started to cross into Nevada on Tuesday night.
The wildfires are so immense that smoke has started to impact the Midwest and East Coast states.
Well-meaning people are concerned about the wildlife living in areas affected by the fires, and some think it’s a good idea to leave out food or water for the animals to find while their habitat burns. That’s also not the best idea, wildlife officials said.
“It could attract animals to your yard and create more problems — spreading disease, attracting predators, and making wildlife aggressive by getting them accustomed to being fed by people,” officials said.
In many cases, wild animals will look for a new suitable habitat after a fire burns through the area. Some species return to burned areas and take advantage of the new growth found there.
“Not all wildlife perish when a fire moves through an area,” fire officials said. “While fire can reduce important habitat and food sources, it can also create new habitat and opportunities for some species.”
Here’s how you can help wildlife during a wildfire without removing them from their habitat or luring them with food, according to animal experts:
Prevent forest fires in the area by following safe practices
Don’t feed the animals because it can make them dependent on humans
Don’t scare animals away. Allow them to rest
Keep pets on a leash or inside your home to avoid conflicts
Report any sightings of injured wildlife to local animal control officials
Allow fleeing animals to pass through the area
Gender reveal started blaze that killed firefighter. California couple is charged
The least we can do, Idaho, is reduce human-caused wildfires during costly drought
Have you noticed the hazy skies over central PA? Here’s why and how long it will last
