Johnson: Wild animals experts on their own

The larger the area, the more one might expect everyone to go to their separate corners and avoid one another, but flat and lacking much in the way of trees and the like, Eastern New Mexico is a region with little to no natural boundaries, or corners, for that matter.

With a mutual desire for water, shelter and resources, all of which can be challenging accomplishments in a windswept, sun-drenched stretch of nothingness, in a manner of speaking, the wild and civilized worlds are tossed together in pursuit of the same things.

In search of ponies

A mature tree is likely to be a source of shade for a house or park; a body of water a recreation spot or the result of human activities; lush green grass, colorful flowers and rows of leafy vegetables rooted in rich, moist and intentionally plotted soil — and all are, in world of dry grass and blowing dirt, highly coveted.

Much of the time humans and wild things live parallel but separate — they are masters of avoiding contact while sheltering in and around man-made structures and thriving on the food and water people leave behind.

Spring and summer, however, are times when the two worlds are most likely to, and often do, intersect.

A featherless babe falls from the nest to lie helpless on the pavement, a mother rabbit is hit by a car leaving behind a nest of young, a neighborhood cat gets a bird on its way to the nest with lunch — and there are few things that pull at the heartstrings like a helpless baby animal.

But there are times that knowing when to help and when not to can make a big difference.

Sometimes they fall, sometimes they’re pushed out and eventually they all have to leave — bottom line, there are numerous reasons for a baby bird to be outside the nest.

If it’s featherless, find the nest and if it can be reached safely, put the baby back.

While it isn’t true that bird parents reject babies touched by humans, there are times when they push out young with a low chance of survival. If the baby ends up on the ground again after you put it back, the parents could be responsible or the nest itself may be damaged.

If a young bird has feathers it is most likely a fledgling and learning to be independent. It’s best to observe from afar because the parents are probably close by watching as it flaps its way to adulthood.

Baby rabbits are left alone in the nest for hours at a time and become independent at a young age. If you find a nest of babies, cover them back up and leave them alone. To confirm they’re not abandoned, place pieces of string on top of the nest in a grid pattern. If the strings are disturbed later, mom came back to feed her babies.

A baby rabbit that’s hopping around and eating is not lost or abandoned — rather, it is thriving and can handle life on it’s own.

In situations where a bird or other young animal can’t be returned to the nest, is injured or the parents have died, experts recommend placing it in a dark, warm enclosure and taking it to a wildlife rehabilitation specialist for care as soon as possible.

As much as we want to help, it does well to remember wild animals are experts in their own right and usually the best thing we can do is appreciate from a distance while giving them the space they need to be themselves.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at:

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