DEC issues guidance on encountering young wildlife
The state Department of Environmental Conservation is reminding New Yorkers to appreciate wildlife from a safe distance and resist the urge to touch or move young wildlife.
According to a DEC news release, fawns, baby birds and other offspring may seem abandoned, but their parents are often close by and well-intentioned interference can pose risks to the animals and humans.
'Spring's warmer weather brings with it more sightings and encounters with wildlife, especially young birds and other animals,' said DEC Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton. 'While some might think these baby animals need assistance, human interactions with wildlife typically do more harm than good. Please remember — if you care, leave it there.'
Interacting with young wildlife can be problematic for both the animal and people, the release stated. When young wildlife venture into the world, for a brief time they may have limited ability to fly or walk on their own. While one or both parents teach survival skills to their offspring, some young wildlife receive little or no care. DEC reminds the public that young wild animals like fawns and baby birds are rarely abandoned. Parents often place their young somewhere to keep them hidden from predators while they are off collecting food.
Bird nestlings can have closed eyes and can be featherless, spending about two weeks in the nest until they begin to outgrow the space. Once they outgrow the nest, nestlings become fledglings, a bird with developed feathers, and begin to flap their wings and learn how to fly. In both stages (nestlings and fledglings) the adult birds are nearby and care for them. If a nestling is found on the ground and cannot be easily and safely returned to the nest, the public is advised to refrain from approaching and instead should call a wildlife rehabilitator.
Fledglings, on the other hand, can hop and flutter on their own, and spend short periods out of the nest on the ground or in low branches. If a young bird is alert, fully feathered, and moving around, people are encouraged to watch from a distance and not intervene.
Fawns are born during late May and early June, and although they can walk shortly after birth, they spend most of their first several days lying still in tall grass, leaf litter, or sometimes relatively unconcealed. During this period, a fawn is usually left alone by the adult female, except when nursing. Fawns are vulnerable to predators during this period. If human presence is detected by the doe, the doe may delay its next visit to nurse.
Fawns should never be picked up. A fawn's protective coloration and ability to remain motionless help it avoid detection by predators and people. By the end of a fawn's second week of life, it begins to move about, spend more time with the doe, and eat on its own. At about 10 weeks of age, fawns are no longer dependent on milk, although they continue to nurse occasionally into the fall.
Anyone who encounters a wild animal that is injured or obviously orphaned should call a trained and DEC-licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Licensed wildlife rehabilitators are the only people legally allowed to receive and treat distressed wildlife, and have the experience, expertise, and facilities to successfully treat and release wild animals, the release stated.
DEC reminds the public that young wildlife are not pets. Keeping wildlife in captivity without authorization from DEC is illegal and harmful to the animal. Wild animals are not well-suited to life in captivity and may carry diseases that can be transferred to humans. DEC also advises the public to keep domestic pets indoors when young wild animals are present. Many fledgling birds cannot fly well when they first leave the nest and are easy prey for house cats.
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Halper and Sani are among the thousands of volunteers who are aiming to elect the 33-year-old Mamdani as the next mayor of New York City. A state Assembly member from Queens and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Mamdani is running on a platform of affordability: free buses, city-run grocery stores, universal child care and a rent freeze. So far, he's beaten expectations, emerging from a pack of progressives as a strong number two in the polls. His progressive campaign plank, delivered via slick social media videos, earned him support from the 'terminally online.' And he's maxed out his campaign contributions with individual donors: Over 27,000 people have donated to his campaign — 12,000 more than city Comptroller Brad Lander, the candidate with the next highest number of donors. To his supporters, Mamdani is a young Bernie Sanders or a socialist Barack Obama. But to his detractors, he is inexperienced, a 'show pony,' a nepo baby and even an antisemite. 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The low barrier to entry — and the opportunity to canvass in your own neighborhood — has benefits and drawbacks. On one hand, volunteers can pull in their own neighborhood-specific information, like a local bus that was free due to Mamdani's legislation. On the other, it leaves some neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Astoria canvass-dense, while the entire South Bronx has no canvasses at all. One field lead in The Bronx, Maxwell Dickinson, ventured out on a Saturday afternoon with a diverse group of volunteers, including multiple people over 40, a vital demographic Mamdani needs but has not yet cornered. Originally from Miami, Dickinson now lives in Riverdale. He likes to open his canvassing conversations with Mamdani's free bus platform and mentions universal child care if he sees a kid in the apartment. 'Personally, I've never mentioned that he's in the DSA, especially being from Miami,' Dickinson said, referring to that city's socialism-skeptical Cuban population. 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Hot girls deserve a hot mayor.' Compared to Mamdani and most of the field, Cuomo has avoided many public appearances, and for some, the sexual harassment allegations that drove him out of office — which Cuomo continues to deny — may be disqualifying. But his campaign has amassed a formidable slate of boosters. Cuomo has picked up major endorsements from large unions — even those who called for his resignation in 2021 — whose money, influence and members go a long way in city elections. He's also focused on courting Black clergy members in a bid to win over a demographic that helped propel Mayor Eric Adams to victory last cycle. 'The benefits of what he's doing is to maintain a frontrunner status — to not let opponents attack you personally,' explained political consultant Hank Sheinkopf. 'They're empty voices talking into a vacuum, and he's not responding to them, which makes them less consequential.' Of course, the canvassers want Mamdani to win. And increasingly, at least to the volunteers, his campaign seems like less of a long shot. 'I am not under any illusions that he has it in the bag,' said Henderson from the Lower East Side. 'But I don't think it's impossible. It doesn't feel like a lost cause,' she said. 'I guess I'm canvass-pilled.' After his first time canvassing, the experience on the Upper East Side has left Sani more energized than when he began. 'I look at my past self, and I see someone who watched John Oliver, watched 'The Daily Show,' watched Hasan Minhaj, and I felt politically active — but when I look back, I did nothing,' Sani mused. 'I was angry all day, but nothing happened from that anger.' 'Now, I do not watch John Oliver, I do not watch 'The Daily Show,' I do not watch Hasan Minhaj. And I'm a thousand times more politically active,' he continued. 'And then I can go to bed at night, and I'm not stressed existentially about it.' But inspiring 29,000 canvassers may not be enough. With early voting starting on June 14 and primary day just three weeks away, the volunteer army still has a lot of work to do to inspire voters — and it's running out of time. Inside the cramped vestibule of an Upper East Side apartment, Sani hits the buzzer. He's pushed a few so far, with no answer. But this time, a garbled voice comes from the other side, asking: Who's there? 'I'm here to talk about Zohran,' Sani says, rushing through the words. But the voice on the other end is confused: 'What?' 'I'm here to talk to tenants about Zohran Mamdani?' Sani tries again. No acknowledgement. One last try: 'I'm here to talk about the election?' 'Oh,' says the voice on the other end, sounding disappointed. 'You woke me up. I was sleeping.' 'I'm sorry for waking you up,' Sani says. He's genuinely contrite and, turning to Halper, asks, 'Did I do something wrong?'
