Posted by Janet Harriett on May.26, 2010

Bald Eagle chicks. Photo Credit: Dave Menke/ US Fish and Wildlife Service

In May, Wildlife Wednesday looks at mothers of the animal kingdom. Animals in urban and suburban areas raise their young in close proximity to people, giving us a great vantage point to look at nature’s moms. However, some precautions are necessary to protect both you and the animals.

Keep Your Distance

Even if a juvenile animal appears to be alone, don’t approach. The mother is likely nearby, or out getting food for her young, and will return soon. In the animal world, humans are predators. Many animal moms respond to predator threats to their young by attacking, while others may abandon the nest, with or without the juveniles. If you would like to show young animals in nature to your kids, consider a good pair of binoculars or field glasses so you can see the babies from a distance that is safe for both you and the animals. With birds, after chicks have left the nest, you can remove vacated nests for kids to take a closer look at the different structures and nesting materials that different birds use, and you may be lucky enough to find eggshell remnants in or around the nest site.

Should you find animals that you’re absolutely certain are orphaned, contact your local wildlife agency to take care of the babies. These agencies have trained wildlife rehabilitation experts who can assess the situation, and facilities to foster the babies if necessary. Never, ever, take a wild animal - even a baby - into your home. Wildlife may carry diseases or parasites that can spread to people, and their behavior, especially in captivity, can be unpredictable and dangerous, no matter how cute the baby animal is.

Give the Mother Access

Animals that live in close proximity to people often den or nest in, around or under structures like houses, decks, sheds and barns. Should you find evidence of an animal in your attic or crawlspace, or under a porch, think twice about taking countermeasures during the period when a mother may be raising young. Unless the animal is causing damage to the building or the nest is in the living space, consider waiting until the young will have left before sealing up holes in the eaves or blocking up a burrow entrance. A mother animal separated from her young is likely to do more damage trying to get back to the nest. If the animal is in an area where direct human contact is likely, or is causing damage, call a wildlife removal expert to get the animal and young out in the most humane way possible.

However, once the young have left, seal up the entrance to the former nesting site well to discourage re-use of the area for future litters. Seal gaps in eaves, fill in excavated burrows, and use strong wire mesh to discourage the animal from digging a new burrow nearby.

Encourage Nesting Away from Living Spaces

One way to keep mother animals from nesting where they’re not wanted is to provide better areas further away from the house. Each animal mom has her own preferences for a nest or burrow, so create a variety of nest-friendly habitats:

• Set up different types of bird houses to attract multiple species of birds
• Plant nest-friendly shrubs
• Install bat boxes
• Create a rock pile or neat brush pile to shelter burrowing animals away from the house

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Posted under Living, Nature and Environment.