• Admire from a respectable distance and leave the animal alone.
• Do not attempt to feed wildlife as you do not want them to become accustomed to relying on humans for food. This can potentially cause harm to them or others.
• Wildlife have particular diets that do not consist of human food. Human food can lead to long term consequences for their development due to lack of required nutrients.
• Do not attempt to take a selfie with the animal because they can become startled or territorial and cause harm to you or themselves.

If you see a baby animal by themself, human nature is to believe this baby animal has been abandoned and needs us to step in and be the parent. Here are several reasons why this might not be the case and what you should do instead.

• An animal parent might be off searching for food. It can be dangerous to bring a baby, so it may have been intentionally left behind for its own safety.
• This might not be a baby. Even though they may be small, lots of animals grow up quickly. Call Houston Humane Society Wildlife Center at 713-468-8972 and they will help you determine if this is a “baby” that is ready to be on its own.
• You have the best intentions for helping wildlife in need, but at the end of the day, the animal parent knows how to care for its baby the best, compared to humans. Call Houston Humane Society Wildlife Center at 713-468-8972 and they will give you tips on how to reunite the family, if possible.

You have helped an animal in need, that is amazing! Next the rehabilitation center will do their best to help the injured or abandoned wildlife. The ultimate goal is get the animal healthy and back out into their natural habitat. Occasionally the animal has been too far injured and deemed non-releasable (unfit to survive on its own in the wild successfully). Only a certified veterinary can make this call. The animal has the potential to then be given to permit holding animal facilities such as educational nature centers, zoos/aquariums, or natural science museums. At these facilities the animal will become an animal ambassador to teach the public about the wonders of nature, how humans fit into this role, and what we can do to help make a brighter and better future for us and them.