Young animals will start being seen as the weather warms up.
"Springtime brings a flurry of inquiries from concerned individuals about the wildlife they are encountering. It is perfectly natural for many species of young wild animals to be left alone for extended periods of time, and they should not be disturbed," said Jenna Fastner, DNR captive wildlife health specialist.
"Wild animals are well-adapted to life in the wild and learning natural behaviors from their own species is imperative to their survival."
The public can help keep wildlife wild by observing from a safe distance and keeping people and pets away from the area.
Wildlife rehabilitation facilities are often quite busy, and need to limit admissions of sick, injured and orphaned wildlife.
The public can help by always contacting a licensed professional for advice before assuming a wild animal needs help.
Some common young wild animals you may encounter this spring include:
- Cottontail rabbit kits can be encountered anytime from spring through fall. They open their eyes at one week old and begin exploring outside the nest for short periods to nibble on grasses after about 2-3 weeks.
- Eastern gray squirrels raise their young in leaf nests, called dreys, tree cavities and man-made structures such as attics. Litters typically consist of two to four young, called kits. By 7 weeks old, they will begin to explore outside the nest area.
- Opossums are the only marsupial in North America, and females have a pouch on their abdomen in which they carry and nurse their young. As they grow, joeys begin to ride on their mother’s back until they are approximately 7 inches long from snout to rump when they become independent.
- Raccoon kits are 12-14 inches long and capable of walking, climbing and exploring by 6-8 weeks of age. When they're at the exploring stage, they can be seen active during the day without their mother.
Visit the DNR's Keep Wildlife Wild webpage to learn more about the normal behaviors of Wisconsin’s wildlife and why it is important for young wild animals to grow up in their natural environment.
