Irish Examiner view: Leave wild creatures to their own devices

Nature doesn't need well-intentioned interference from humans

It may seem cruel to leave a young animal to its own devices, but it is not: It is by far the best course of action. Picture: Chris Radburn/PA Wire.

At this time of the year, nature’s great rejuvenation reaches its annual peak. Plant life bursts with colour; farms are alive with the sounds of new, determined life. Wild animals or birds — the few that remain — produce broods or litters, pups or kits. Like farmyards, the countryside, rivers, the seashores, bogs — again, the few that remain — and mountains burst with new life.

This can lead to situations where well-intentioned, but inexperienced, people — walkers or cyclists — find fledglings or cubs and imagine they are in distress, when they are not. This can lead to cubs or chicks, even young seals, being needlessly brought to one animal service or another. So much so that the Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland charity has warned about “unintentional kidnapping” of young animals.