Don't save, don't touch, don't take! Hunters warn: forest baby boom is underway

Contents

Material prepared for the media.

Before you head out into the wilderness of the forest, learn the rules that protect life

– the hunters appeal.

In June, something happens in Polish forests that you won't find in the headlines of portals. But for animals, it's the most important time of the year. The breeding season. Thousands of young are born: kids, calves, young hares, wild boars, chicks, hedgehogs. All dependent on the instincts of their caretakers and on our caution.

This is a natural rhythm, but today, with huge tourist traffic, increasingly frequent dog walks, bicycle escapades not only on designated trails and the loud presence of people, this cycle is easily disturbed.

"Forest Baby Boom" – This Is Not "Poor Abandoned Baby"…

This is not a campaign slogan. June is the time when the largest number of wild animals are born in Polish forests throughout the year. Tall grass, dense undergrowth and thickets are not only wild spaces, but also hidden lairs, nests and burrows.

Do you see a baby deer lying in the grass? It is not abandoned. It is a defensive strategy – the female deliberately spends as little time with it as possible so as not to attract the attention of predators.

- "These are not animals that need saving. It is part of a survival strategy. Their presence without a female is the norm in the ecosystem"

– says Wacław Matysek from the PZŁ Press Department.

– From a human perspective, a small roe deer lying motionless in the grass looks like prey. But from the perspective of a naturalist, hunter or forester, it is clear that this is a healthy youngster whose caretaker is acting in accordance with the mechanism of evolution.

– adds Dr. Małgorzata Krokowska-Paluszak from UWM in Olsztyn.

This is not an exception – it is the norm. Hunters have been observing this in the field for decades. By saving an animal that does not require help, we are effectively condemning it to death or life in captivity.

– they appeal.

In the spring and summer season, the most common reports from walkers concern young animals that "someone found" and "have already taken to save them."

We know that this is not malice – it is ignorance. But its consequences are fraught.

"It only takes one touch for a female to give up her care. It only takes a dog let loose to destroy an entire pheasant nest. It only takes one photo posted on the Internet with the caption "we saved her!" for others to do the same"

– warns Wacław Matysek from the PZŁ Press Department.

ed. Tobiasz Szczesnowski, spokesman press office of the Polish Hunting Association

1. "I found a lonely cub - I need help!" No need. The best help is... no intervention. Animals do not smell, they are quiet and motionless - this is a natural defense. Human touch can leave a smell that will make further care difficult.

2. "It's just a short walk off the trail" The paths are not marked by accident. Walking through the undergrowth, we can destroy a bird's nest or trample young hidden in the grass.