Stranded wildlife to be left alone

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is urging Yuma locals not to “rescue” wildlife that they may see on the side of the road, for doing so, may do more harm than good. During the warmer months, its typical to find wildlife such as birds laying out on the side of the road and of course if these animals are in immediate harm, saving them is the right thing to do, but a lot of the times with birds, if you see them on the ground its just the natural process of them learning how to fly. Chris Bedinger, with the Arizona Game and Fish Department explains. “If you see baby wildlife in the wild, leave it alone. It’s part of it’s natural cycle. People think that their rescuing it, but there actually picking up an animal out of its habitat and bringing it into your house or to our office is actually…Could be detrimental to its health. Re-releasing that animal into the wild becomes harder, once it’s in a domestic environment,” said Bedinger. It is mating season for birds, so the likelihood of seeing baby wildlife around is greater in these next couple months. Bedinger adds that if you do see any animals that you believe are in immediate danger to always call their department at (928) 342 0091.