Orphaned wild animals require specialist care to achieve successful rehabilitation and release.
Wildlife orphan care requires balancing welfare of the individual animal against its chances of successful release. Human contact that provides comfort and nutrition may cause imprinting that prevents release. Species-appropriate company and minimal human contact is the welfare-optimal approach for most species. Deer, foxes, and corvids are particularly susceptible to imprinting. The welfare of the individual is best served by the approach most likely to produce a genuinely wild animal capable of independent survival.