Indiana DNR has seen an uptick in fawns being taken from the wild unnecessarily, and they want to remind you that young wildlife often need their moms more than human intervention.

Mother Knows Best

It's human nature, when we see something small and defenseless like a baby animal, it's hard to resist the urge to want to step in and "help."  However, oftentimes human intervention does more harm than good.  Wildlife is wild for a reason, and nature has its own way of taking care of things.   You know the phrase, "mother knows best,"  that same phrase can be used for the wild.  More times than not, baby animals will be much better off with their mother than with human intervention.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (Indiana DNR) recently had to put out a statement because they've been seeing an influx of fawns being removed from the wild unnecessarily.

Indiana DNR: Fawns Are Being Taken Unnecessarily From the Wild

On June 2nd, the Indiana DNR Division of Law Enforcement took to Facebook to share some information about a recent issue that's causing problems for fawns.

Indiana DNR said that they have had an influx of reports lately of fawns being taken from nature when they don't need to be.

Indiana Conservation Officers have had an increase in calls regarding fawns being unnecessarily removed from the wild. ICOs would like to remind the public that In the first few weeks of life, fawns develop strength and spend most of their time bedded down. During this time, the mother will leave the area briefly to eat and return to the fawn to nurse. If you find a fawn lying alone, unless sick or injured, leave it alone and leave the area. The mother will not return if adults, children, or dogs are in the area. Handling the fawn or putting human scent in the area can alert predators to the fawn’s location.

For more information visit: on.IN.gov/keepwildlifewild

When to Intervene With Wildlife

• Has sufficient time passed without an adult animal nearby? Some animals check their young at night and may be secretive in checking their young. The adult animal will not return with a person nearby.
• Does the animal really need help? Most young animals that seem abandoned do NOT need help.
• Did I witness the mother get killed?
• Does the animal have obvious signs of disease or injury? Signs may include obvious signs of wounds or injuries, the young being covered in large numbers of insects, breathing issues, and diarrhea.
• Will I help or harm this animal? The best care and chance of survival is always with the young animal’s mother.

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How To Know if a Fawn Needs Help

Indiana DNR says that when it comes to fawns, it's important to know that they often hide by themselves and try to stay motionless while their mom goes off to look for food. This is all normal.  However, there are a few signs you can look for that may indicate the fawn does indeed need human intervention.

The signs listed by Indiana DNR are obvious injuries, witnessing the mother die, the fawn being covered in large amounts of insects, and a fawn frequently calling for its mother.

READ MORE: What to Do if You Find Baby Bunnies In Your Yard

The Indiana DNR says you should confirm that a rehabilitator can help the fawn before intervening.  Again, sometimes intervening can cause more harm than good.

Consider letting the circle of life take its course on an injured fawn, as difficult as that may be. Sometimes wildlife can survive even when that potential is not immediately apparent.

For more information, see the Keep Wildlife Wild page on the Indiana DNR website.