Orphaned Animals


Abandoned Wildlife: If You Care - Leave Them There

In late spring and early summer, many residents of the province will be heading afield to kick-off another season of camping, fishing and getting back to nature in the great outdoors.  Please remember this season coincides with the peak birth season of many of the provinces wild creatures.

Each year around this time, Salmonier Nature Park receives a number of calls reporting lost or abandoned young wild animals.  In many cases, it is a normal occurrence for the parent animals to leave their young unattended for extended time periods.  Often the adult animal will be hiding somewhere nearby and may be reluctant to return while people are present.  It is recommended that if you encounter what you perceive to be an orphaned or abandoned animal, to immediately leave the area, and report the incident to your nearest Forestry/Wildlife office or police detachment.

Another major concern at this time of the year is that very newborn young, particularly moose and caribou, will "adopt" any human they encounter and on many occasions have willingly followed people home.  It is recommended people avoid direct contact and immediately leave the area should they encounter an unattended young animal.

Although people feel some obligation to intervene and help a lost animal, in actual fact this human contact may be doing more harm than good.  An animal that is raised in captivity in most cases is unable to return to a wild existence.

Within this province, Salmonier Nature Park becomes home to lost and abandoned animals taken in by the public.  Park staff will attempt to rehabilitate and re-introduce animals back to the wild, but unfortunately, most wild animals raised in captivity cannot survive on their own.  Park staff will also attempt to identify other accredited zoological parks willing to accept animals for educational display.  Often with common species, it is difficult to find such a suitable home and occasionally the animal must be euthanised.