Why Oklahoma Wants You To Leave Baby Wildlife Alone This Summer

As we roll through week two of the Dog Days of Summer, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is making a heavy effort to remind people not to be messing with the baby wildlife.

During the spring, it's always a treat to run across a baby deer or some little bunnies, and for the most part, we leave them alone. But for months we've all been exposed to social media videos of people "rescuing" baby animals.

They're cute and tug at even the hardest of hearts, but it's also a problem.

We're at the point of the year where a lot of this year's babies are venturing out on their own. Still very small, but very much capable of leaving the nest.

As humans, it's our responsibility to leave them alone. Nothing good comes from intervening. We don't want our wildlife to get used to or becoming dependent on people.

Granted, there are exceptions. If an animal is obviously hurt, you're more than welcome to call the ODWC and let them know. They can assess every wildlife situation and find the best qualified rehabilitators to lend a helping hand to nature.

Long story short, when you see what looks like baby animals out and about alone this time of year, it's all part of the plan and totally normal. Hands off.