Knowing when and how to intervene for injured or orphaned wildlife prevents well-intentioned but harmful actions while enabling effective help for animals that genuinely need assistance.
Wildlife rescue welfare begins with the decision whether to intervene at all. Many interventions that seem helpful are actually harmful — removing a fawn from its mother's hiding spot, keeping a fledgling indoors overnight, or feeding cow's milk to an orphaned mammal can cause welfare harm or death. The precautionary principle for wildlife rescue means first assessing whether the animal genuinely needs help (injured, hypothermic, clearly orphaned) before taking action, and then getting immediate guidance from qualified sources rather than attempting care without knowledge. When intervention is appropriate, minimizing handling, maintaining appropriate environmental conditions, and transferring promptly to licensed rehabilitators provides the best welfare outcomes.