Close encounters between people and wild animals are on the increase, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, as are reports of people removing those animals from the woods, fields and roadsides to keep them as pets.
Catching and keeping deer, bears, raccoons, opossums, foxes, rabbits, squirrels and other infant, adult or injured wildlife is not only illegal but also dangerous to the health of animals and people.
"It's a concern," said Jerry Feaser, a game commission spokesman. "Each spring we put out a news release on it. Last year, we put that news release out twice. We don't keep numbers on it so we can't quantify it, but it's something we feel is an increasing problem."
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Dawn Amundson feeds a doe named Sarah inside her Gouldsboro, Pa., home on Christmas Eve. The deer was raised by Amundson from birth and lives in the wild. The deer returns for milk or to hang out with Amundson's dogs, Mercedes the Rottweiler, left, and Brittany the Husky. Amundson placed an orange collar on the deer in hopes that hunters will not shoot her pet. (Jason Farmer, Pocono Record, via AP)
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Highlighting the issue was a recent Associated Press photo that showed a woman in her living room in northeastern Pennsylvania feeding a deer she had bought and raised from a fawn. It appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette print edition on Saturday as well as in other newspapers. The image is reproduced with this story.
"That photo certainly sent a distorted message," Feaser said. "Wildlife are wild and should be treated as such and left alone."
Despite a steep fine -- up to $800 per animal for anyone caught taking or possessing wildlife from the wild -- Steve Pope, a licensed rehabilitator at the North Park Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, said the photo of the deer in the woman's living room reflected a trend in how people view and interact with wildlife.
It's been called the "Disneyfication" of the American outdoors.
"I've seen an increase in the number of people picking up wild animals and retaining possession," Pope said. "That deer in the photo had a collar on it and I've had people bring in raccoons wearing collars and squirrels with bows on their heads. I've had them walk in with raccoons on leashes like a dog. That's not right."
Many wildlife encounters occur in the spring, when most animals give birth. People find infant deer, rabbits, raccoons and even bear unattended by their parents and take them home. They think they're saving them, but they're not, and often they're doing the animals harm, Feaser said.
"Leave babies alone. Too often people confuse nature parenting with human parenting," he said. "Wildlife often leave their young alone to go in search of food. If you interfere, you are interfering with nature's way."
Some wild animals, including deer, rely on "hider strategy" in which young animals hide in surrounding brush while adults run away to draw the attention of predators. They are not abandoning their young, but people finding the young animals often make the mistake of thinking they have been abandoned and take them home.
Taking wild animals into homes can also expose people or domestic animals to diseases and parasites like rabies, Lyme disease and roundworm.
"Any person with common sense should realize that when he picks an animal up and takes it into his home he can expose himself, his kids and his pets to those diseases," said Joe Stefko, game commission wildlife education supervisor.
The increase in the number of wild animals encountered by humans is the result of several converging factors, the biggest of which is suburban sprawl.
"Sprawl is causing a lot of encroachment into the habitat of bear, deer, raccoons and other small animals," Stefko said. "When we build houses in their living rooms they adapt well and continue to feed in our flower beds, gardens and bird feeders."
The problem is particularly acute in northeastern Pennsylvania where sprawling housing developments have been built in wetland areas that are excellent bear habitats. As a result, the game commission at its meeting this month will consider a proposal to prohibit the feeding of bears throughout the state. The proposal is expected to pass.
Also contributing to human-wildlife encounters is the increase in small animal populations because of increased forest acreage and a decline in trapping.
"Trappers keep the small mammal numbers down, but as fur prices fell, a lot of people stopped trapping and populations of raccoons, foxes, opossums, coyotes and muskrats went up," Stefko said. "Fur prices are starting to increase again so we may see a revival of trapping."
If a person finds an injured animal he should not touch it or remove it from its habitat, except in rare situations.
"The best thing to do is to call us. We have game commission officers and deputies that, given the current cell phone technology, can respond quickly to take care of the animal," Stefko said.
Under an agreement with the state Department of Health, any species at a high risk for rabies -- skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes and groundhogs -- must be euthanized and tested for the disease.
Raptors, like hawks and owls, and rare or endangered species, like eagles or peregrine falcons, that are found injured or orphaned are taken to animal rehabilitation centers run by trained professionals licensed by the game commission.
There is at least one rehabilitation facility in almost every county and three in Allegheny County: the Flying Mammal Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Mt. Lebanon, the Pennsylvania Wildlife Center in Verona, and the North Park Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
Pope said wild animals that are injured must be rehabilitated in ways that do not tame them, ideally by animal rehabilitators licensed by the game commission.
"You can't just find an animal, feed it milk a couple times a day for a week, and then take it out and stick it in a tree or on the ground somewhere," he said.
"You also should not pick up a wild animal and raise it as a pet. It's bad for the animals and more likely than not they will not make it."
People who find injured or orphaned wildlife should call the game commission's southwest regional office toll-free at 1-877-877-7137. Wildlife officers there will make referrals to wildlife rehabilitation centers if appropriate.
Don Hopey can be reached at dhopey@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1983.
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