“Wild animals are not meant to be pets, and we must all resist our well-meaning and well-intentioned urge to want to care for wildlife,” said Calvin W. DuBrock, Game Commission Bureau of Wildlife Management director.
“Taking wildlife from its natural settings and into your home may expose or transmit wildlife diseases to people or domestic animals. Wildlife also may carry parasites – such as fleas, ticks or lice – that you wouldn’t want infesting you, your family, your home or your pets.”
As the movement to humanize wild animals grows in leaps and bounds, we are once again warned against the practice. For some unknown reason, people relate wild animals with domestic ones. The problem is they are not, despite some organizations misleading claims.
Posters and photos of wildlife, with captions that are human in thought, simply don’t hold water, and the “Ah, how cute,” responses are heartfelt, I’m sure, but paint a poor picture of wildlife. With a few exceptions, adopted wildlife ends up being loved to death and are robbed of their freedom.
I recently was led to an ad advertising a “bunny” that was supposedly rescued from a meat market. In reading, the cute bunny liked carrots and lettuce and, if I chose to adopt it, I could buy all the stuff I needed from the “rescue” center. I, too, would be taught how to exercise, feed and generally love my new pet.
First, I wondered how many little bunnies weren’t “rescued” and how many made it to somebody’s plate with the same ingredients the rabbit supposedly liked. Then I had a flashback and recalled buying my infant son at the time a white rabbit. The rabbit got plenty of exercise, as it chewed on everything it could find.
That rabbit was cute, but not too cuddly, and learned to escape its indoor pen with irritating regularity. When it did, it often hid behind the sofa or beneath a large chair.
He then proceeded to chew any and all available wooden parts, including legs, backing and trim. When he wasn’t chewing on the furniture, he would chew on and threw all extension cords and cords attached to any and all appliances in my place.
Training a rabbit isn’t something I ever was able to learn. Hate me if you must, but in time I gave the rabbit to a man who probably sold it at a meat market.
So, I’m no longer interested in giving a rescued rabbit a good home. I finally located the website and saw many more “rescued” species, including amphibians and reptiles. Unfortunately many of these animals are left loose somewhere in the wild and end up in all kinds of odd places.
Because I speak from experience, I can relate that I did buy my daughter an Easter chick only because of peer pressure – all other cousins and relatives had purchased one, and my daughter would have been terribly disappointed.
But rearing the chicks never came to reality; as we ate Easter dinner, the men of the family built a nice enclosure of chicken wire. The top was open, but that didn’t seem to matter; after all, the chicks couldn’t fly.
After dinner, I fortunately decided to check on them and to my horror I found 5 dead chicks, the victims of a neighborhood cat I saw leaving the scene of the crime.
My point to all of this is that there seems to be four forms of wildlife out there: pets (domesticated), farm animals (semi-domesticated), true wildlife (wild and free) and exotics (animals brought here for our use or pleasure).
When I think of an animal being rescued, I think of true wildlife first.
“In the coming days and weeks, it will become common to find young deer, rabbits, birds, raccoons or other wildlife, some of which may appear to be abandoned,” DuBrock said. “Rest assured that in most cases, the young animal is not an orphan or abandoned, and the best thing you can do is to leave it alone.”
DuBrock noted adult animals often leave their young while the adults forage for food. Also, wildlife often relies on a natural defensive tactic called the “hider strategy,” where young animals will remain motionless and “hide” in surrounding cover while adults draw the attention of potential predators or other intruders away from their young.
“While it may appear as if the adults are abandoning their young, in reality, this is just the animal using its natural instincts to protect its young,” DuBrock said. “Also, young animals often have camouflaging color patterns to avoid being detected by predators.”
Yes, in the real world some will perish before they reach adulthood. Some will end up along our highways, others will be taken by predators and still more will die of diseases. It’s been nature’s way since the beginning of time.
It was just a few weeks ago I noted a young cottontail that afforded me numerous photo ops. The animals seemed healthy and scampered when I entered his comfort zone.
When I came home and reviewed the photos, I noted a scar on the rabbit’s neck. Something obviously had a hold of it and it came close to being a meal for some predator.
But now that it is a little older and smarter perhaps, its chance of surviving had multiplied. Perhaps I could have live-trapped that cottontail and “rescued” it. But, of course, I didn’t, knowing that nature will take care of its own and out of each population so many will perish, allowing room for others. The land can only support so many of any species.
When it comes to semi-domesticated farm animals, it only seems obvious that they are raised for meat, milk or whatever other commodity they can produce. I doubt that very few don’t eat meat of some sort.
Pets can and do come in all shapes, sizes and forms, but I think that when purchasing a pet, a lot of thought should go into it. If you need a companion, an exotic is probably not for you.
Last are those exotics that have come from all over the world. And I would never choose a pet for you. But I would tell you to be reasonable in your choice, and remember a lot of work and money can go into owning a pet.
Personally, I love my lab, but when I think of a rescued animal, my first thought is one that can and should be released back into the wild whenever possible.
Dave Wolf has completed a two-disk set of DVD’s titled “Black Powder Chucks.” To reach him regarding this article or his DVD’s, email wolfang418@msn.com.
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