by Kevin Foster
With baby season here again and an abundance of rescues of youngsters, sometimes with human interaction animal rescues, it is good to realize that humans will unknowingly cause mothers to abandon their young. Here are some good tips: Ethical wildlife interaction and photography. A highly debated subject, but easily explained, I think it is fantastic when people want to experience local wildlife. I hope it inspires people to want to preserve it. With that said, when we go out into nature we need to do it in a way that is not damaging it, and destroying what makes it “natural”. Nocturnal owls for example very rarely open their eyes during the day, if you get a shot of them doing so it should be because you are lucky, not because you are interfering with wildlife. Taking photos of animals that are stressed because of humans is not true “nature” in its natural state. So, if you are going to enjoy local wildlife, here are some signs to look for to know if your actions are unethical and that you should consider making adjustments in future interactions: – If it is a nocturnal animal, are it’s eyes open because you are there, too close, or interacting with it? – Is the animal displaying a defensive, territorial, or stressed response? (Puffed up, making themselves skinny to try to blend into their surroundings, pacing, “grimacing”, flying/fleeing from its location, leaving its prey, or being aggressive)? – If you were not there, would this animal be acting the same way in its current environment? – Is your presence stopping this animal from continuing with the rest of it’s day – are you alerting it’s prey, or in the way of it hunting? – How many people are there? Are you crowding or drawing too much attention to the animal or yourself? – Are you too close? If any of the above are occuring the answer is yes! Or, something else you are doing is also stressing the animal out. If any of these apply to you, but you still want to be able to enjoy local wildlife, what can you do? – Realise that sleeping and non-stressed animals are just as adorable, and people will like your photos of them just as much if not more. – Try to experience this animal at a different time of day when they may be more active? (While still being at a respectable distance). – Understand that some animals are more sensitive than others, and spend more time enjoying wildlife that is easier to experience, and be careful when you do see something sensitive. – Look at your gear, if you are trying to photograph sensitive species you need very long lenses and a very high resolution camera. – If you can’t afford or don’t want this expensive gear consider the following ways you can enjoy these species at an ethical distance: *Digiscoping, you can take photos with your cell phone through a spotting scope if you have one *Look at these animals through binoculars or your scope if you can’t get a photo without stressing the animals out *Try not cropping your photo as much to include more of the habitat, so you do not need to get so close *Make your photo stand out by doing a more artistic shot that is easier to do at a distance than a maximum detail photo. If you see a mother with her babies, keep a good distance. While some mothers will defend their young ferociously, others will flee for self-preservation. We can all coexist with the wonderful wildlife in the world by enjoying them from a respectable distance. This all helps wild animals in their struggle to maintain healthy populations in a world where their grasslands and forests are diminishing. BABY RACCOON FUN FACTS Baby raccoons are called kits or cubs and are usually born in the early summer. Females will normally have 1 to 5 offspring, but have been known to have up to 7. Their eyes open at approximately 3 weeks of age and their ears open shortly after that. In the wild babies will stay with their mothers 8 months to a year.