By ‘helping’ wild animals, you could end their freedom or even their lives — here’s why you should keep your distance
<p>For anyone who enjoys nature, summer is a fascinating time to be outside. Animals are on the move: Turtles are nesting, baby birds are testing their wings, snakes are foraging and young mammals are emerging.</p>
<p>In central Pennsylvania, where I live, last year’s hatchling painted turtles have overwintered in their nests and emerged looking like tiny helpless snacks for raccoons and ravens. I’ve already rescued a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtIJe_eADFt/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">baby killdeer</a> — a shorebird that nests in parking lots — that ran off the road and got stuck in a grate. And I’ve watched an eastern chipmunk prey on a nest of <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Towhee/overview" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">towhee chicks</a>.</p>
<p>I moved the killdeer to safety because it had fallen into what we call an “ecological trap.” Humans create these traps when we degrade habitat that looks suitable to animals. For killdeer, parking pads and roofs give off all the vibes of a great nesting site — except for the drains — and they have less natural habitat available these days.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/the-conversation/by-helping-wild-animals-you-could-end-their-freedom-or-even-their-lives-here-s-why-you-should-9bd1b11e9f71"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>