Wildlife in Flooded Areas Should Be Left Alone
Floods Displace Wildlife; Resist Urge to “Help”
PIERRE, S.D. –-(Ammoland.com)- The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department reports that wildlife is being displaced due to flood waters, and the public should keep a healthy distance from these animals.
The number of calls about fawns and other wildlife from woody areas now filled with flood waters have increased tremendously.
“The best thing people can do is leave wildlife where they find it, even if it appears to be displaced by flood waters, as there is a very good chance the mother will be back for it” Ron Schauer, GFP Regional Wildlife Manager in Sioux Falls, said.
The number of calls about “abandoned” fawns is on the rise in GFP offices, he said.
There may be health risks from handling wildlife, including rabies from animals like skunks. In addition, it is illegal for individuals to remove and possess deer fawns from the wild, he said, even if they look abandoned or displaced.
“Due to the very low chances of surviving in the wild after being raised in captivity, the best care they can receive is from their own parents or in the wild,” he said.