Springtime baby animals- good intentions can often lead to bad outcomes

The birds have returned, the trees are budding and life is returning after a long, cold winter. and that life includes Alaskan animals. But as cute and helpless as they may seem, the Alaska Division of Wildlife Conservation wants to remind people that it's not smart to interfere.

"Most often they are not alone and they are not abandoned," Dave Battle says, an Anchorage Area Wildlife Biologist, "It's very common for wild mothers, like moose and bears, to cash their young in what they consider to be a safe place and go off to feed."

Battle says that young animals who seem abandoned, could actually be sitting under the watchful eye of a very protective mother that may be out of sight. He says it's best to wait 48 hours and monitor the situation before action is taken to help the young animal. And that action should never require a person trying to "save" the animals them self.

"We ask that people if they see a young animal that they think is abandoned, please call us, because we always have to evaluate each situation case by case. If they try to take action without calling the authorities, they can either get themselves hurt or end up hurting the animal."

Battle adds that it' also illegal to take in a wile animal, so the best of intentions could result in a fine from troopers.

Channel 2's Mike Ross spoke with Battle about how people can correctly go about helping young animals in the springtime.

You can watch that full interview above.

If you have a situation that you feel needs to be reported, you can do so