Animal babies at Penitentiary Glen Reservation

By Mimi Vanderhaven

Ah, springtime! At last, we hear the birds chirping in the mornings, busily building their nests, and see other wildlife preparing for the arrival of their precious babies.

Mimi caught up with Traci Keller from Lake Metroparks Kevin P. Clinton Wildlife Center to get some insight into the best way to interact with parents and their young. (The short answer: Observe from a distance and leave them alone.)

“Wild parents know what’s best,” says Traci. “Many of them leave their babies alone as they venture off to find nourishment. Parents hanging out around the location of their young only attract predators, but don’t worry, the parents are usually not far away and keep a watchful eye.”

Since most young are born nearly scentless, adults return only for quick feedings to avoid attracting predators.

“Wildlife parents are very devoted to raising their young and it is unlikely for them to abandon them,” she says.

Traci notes that if you have children who are interested in helping babies out in the wild, now is a great time to teach them a lesson in animal stewardship. As much as your kids might want to pick up a baby animal, human presence is stressful to them.

“Make sure to keep your dog or cat away from baby animals,” she adds. “And be mindful of looking out for nests when doing your spring lawncare.”

Although the best advice is to stay away from wildlife, Penitentiary Glen Reservation is throwing a special event to celebrate the little ones. On Friday, April 7, don’t miss Fun Day: Wild Animal Babies from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy interactive exhibits and demonstrations, and meet some resident animal ambassadors such as different types of squirrels and opossums to learn about their journey from baby to adult and view live feedings of wild baby animals cared for at the Wildlife Center. Please note that wild baby animals are under special care and will only be available for viewing.

Lake Metroparks annually provides more than 4 million visitors with countless recreational and educational experiences at diverse facilities. For more information visit LakeMetroparks.com. If you have an injured or orphaned animal, call the Wildlife Hotline at 440-256-1404 (option 2). The Wildlife Center website is goto.lakemetroparks.com/wildlifecenter. For more information about Wild Animal Babies visit goto.lakemetroparks.com/wild-animal-babies-day.