Don't Adopt Newborn Wildlife

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Newborn fawns are appearing daily this time of year. Look but don’t adopt is the rule to follow when you see fawns and other newborn wildlife this spring. Leave the area as quickly and quietly as possible so the parent animal may return to its young.

Although alone when spotted, usually these young animals have not been orphaned.   Wildlife often leave newborn animals hidden for periods of time and return periodically to feed them.   This common practice helps to keep predators from finding the young wildlife.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks   cannot accept, hold or rehabilitate deer or elk removed from the wild because of the impending threat of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and will ask you to return a wild creature to the location where it was found.

CWD, a fatal neurological disease that affects deer and elk, is spreading in the United States and Canada. Although it has yet to be documented in wild populations in Montana, CWD is found in nearby states and provinces. An infected animal could spread CWD from a holding center back into the wild.

Keep in mind that it is illegal to remove or possess game animals and other creatures such as game birds, songbirds, furbearers or birds of prey from the wild. Fines can be issued for these violations.

For more information about living with wildlife, visit FWP’s web page at fwp.mt.gov and look under Wild Things for the   Living With Wildlife   page.