#ThinkBeforeYouGo: If you are given the opportunity to touch, hold, feed or play with a wild baby animal in captivity in any shape or form, the activity is unethical according to the SATSA guidelines and should be avoided.
Why avoid tactile interactions with infant wildlife?
- Infants are removed from their mothers prematurely
- The animals don’t have freedom of choice
- The animals are forced to exhibit unnatural behaviour
- It serves no educational value
- It serves no conservation value
Removing infant animals from their mothers prematurely is extremely stressful, unnatural for both the mother and the infant, and can lead to long-term health issues. It is not in the animal’s best interest to remove an infant from its mothers for human gratification.
Wild animals are naturally fearful of humans and any tactile interaction between a wild infant animal and a human is unethical.