Not only do wild animals not make good pets, in most States it is against the
law to cage or confine a native wild animal.
Most American wildlife is protected by both State and Federal laws. The mere
harassing of certain wildlife is considered a felony crime and can lead to large fines and
even imprisonment.
No matter what kind of animal or how young, even a baby orphan with the eyes still closed...
eventually the instinct to turn wild will come out.
There are cases where a human raised animal will sometimes be "human imprinted." This only means
that the animal will prefer humans to a member of its own species, not that it will be tame.
The animal may allow you to feed it and even pet or play with it, but when it reaches between 5
to 7 months of age - sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on the species, it will start
to get aggressive. This does not mean the animal is turning "mean," only that it is developing
the instincts that have been bred into it for thousands of years. It is turning "wild."
There is always someone that will say "I had one when I was a kid, it made a great pet." Ask
them what happened to the animal? Did it just run off one day and never return, or did it get
hit by a car? How old was it when this happened? If they had it longer than 1-2 years, was it
just caged in the back yard; did they play with it, or just pet it through the cage wire? A pet
is something you love and play with, not just something to say "hi" to at feeding time.
A healthy wild animal, unless a newborn baby, will not let a human come near. If you find an
animal that is sick or injured - DO NOT TOUCH IT. A SICK OR INJURED ANIMAL WILL ATTACK YOU OUT
OF PAIN AND/OR FEAR. Call your Animal Control, Wildlife & Fishery, or State Park Ranger.
These people have the equipment and ability to capture and take care of the animal.
Many diseases that an animal can get, can be passed on to humans - these diseases can make a
person very sick, cause permanent physical and mental impairment, and can even be fatal.
