Though well-intentioned, people do more harm than good when they try to help wildlife without the training, expertise or legal authority to do so.

We have a lot of wildlife in our area, and we urge our readers to follow the recommendations of wildlife officials and leave nature in nature.

This week the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said, “Before you pick up or attempt to assist any wildlife, no matter its age or condition, remember that it is best to leave young birds, bunnies or fawns where they are found.”

The Wildlife Resources Division’s wildlife biologist Kaitlin Good explained, “While it is normal to want to ‘help’ other creatures, wildlife, even young ones, rarely need interference from humans. And, in fact, taking wildlife out of their natural environment and bringing them into your home often takes away the animal’s ability to then survive in the wild, where they belong.”

According to the agency, the best thing people can do when they see any wildlife of any age is to immediately move away and leave it exactly as they found it for at least 24 hours.

The Department of Natural Resources said if the animal is still there after this wait time, you can reach out to a local WRD office for guidance (GeorgiaWildlife.com/about/contact).

Regarding young wildlife that “appears” orphaned, Goode said, “While it may appear that a young animal is alone, the adult animal is usually close by even though you may not be able to see it. Adult animals, such as deer, spend most of the day away from their young to reduce the risk of a predator finding the young animal.”

Simply put, people not licensed and trained in wildlife rehabilitation should not attempt to care for wildlife.

Georgia law prohibits the possession of most wildlife without a permit. So, if no other reason, leave wildlife in the wild because it’s the law.