Within a week the animal bit four people, scratched several more and exposed a half dozen others to rabies. As a result, the people went through a regiment of anti-rabies vaccinations. Rabies can be present in a variety of wildlife species. During spring and early summer, people encounter newborn animals in urban areas, in the mountains and on the plains. According to Dean Riggs, a Colorado Division of Wildlife officer in Ca on City, most people have good intentions when they pickup wildlife, but are unaware of the risks associated with handling wild animals.
Wild animals can carry rabies, distemper or other illnesses.
It is also possible for the animals to carry fleas that might subsequently spread disease to humans or pets. Picking up wildlife is not only risky for people, but more often than not is bad for the animal. If several hours go by and the mother does not return, only then may people reasonably assume the newborn was abandoned or the mother is dead, Riggs said. The fact is, there are very few cases of abandoned wildlife. The Division of Wildlife has a network of licensed wildlife rehabilitators and trained volunteers who specialize in caring for young or injured wild animals, but experts say that many of the animals brought in for care would have been better off if left alone.