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The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota is busy right now as baby animals leave their nests and dens and concerned citizens bring thousands of sick, injured and abandoned critters in for care. 

However, there are many misconceptions about when wild animals need a helping human hand and when to let nature take its course. Tami Vogel, the WRC’s executive director, joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition to clear up the confusion. 

What types of patients are you seeing right now? 

Among the recent guests are a swan, some hummingbirds, the youngest fisher the WRC has seen, a baby coyote and fawns; the avian and mammal nurseries are nearly full. 

“We’re very busy right now,” Vogel said. “We've admitted about 8,300 patients already this year.” 

That’s about 2,000 patients ahead of 2023 but only 100 or so patients ahead of 2024. 

“That kind of ebbs and wanes. So this time of year, it's really hard to tell, because a couple of 200-plus days will put us right back up to 600 to 1,000 ahead of last year,” she explained. 

“Thankfully, we have more than 500 volunteers who help us with the day-to-day care of all these patients, and we have an amazing staff, so we're doing pretty well, but peak season is definitely called that for a reason, and our staff are going to be happy as it starts to settle down here in the next month.” 

When should you step in and help animals when air quality is poor or skies are smoky? 

Vogel acknowledged there’s a lot of concern around air quality right now. 

“I mean, I woke up [Wednesday] morning and my lungs feel a little goopy, but I think people would know if they were seeing animals that were struggling with the air quality in their backyard,” she said. 

If they’re struggling with bad air, birds, for example, may appear poofed up, look sickly, and be unable to fly. But, Vogel said the WRC isn’t seeing such distress or lung damage in wildlife, therefor not a related uptick in patients. 

“The overarching message is, if you see a wild animal struggling and obviously not doing well, that's why we're here, bring it in,” she said. “You don't even need to call first. We're open every day of the year, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. But if you do find a possibly orphaned animal, then we want you to call us so we can help you assess the situation.” 

It’s fawn season. What do you see if you see a lone baby deer? 

Fawns are left alone while their mothers forage during the day, traveling up to a mile away. 

“Their little legs just can't keep up with mom,” Vogel said. “So the fawn may park itself someplace where it feels safe. You and I may not agree with the fawn. It may be right at your front steps, that may be next to your car.” 

Mom, though, will return in the evening, nurse the fawn and likely move her baby elsewhere. 

“The fawn might be in your front yard for two days and disappear for four and then all of a sudden show back up again, but as long as it's looking healthy and it's not crying incessantly, then we aren't too worried about it,” Vogel said. 

Learn more about what to do if you find an orphaned or injured animal at 

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Tami Vogel, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota’s executive director, joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition to clear up the confusion. 

Wildlife and wildfire smoke: When to step in and when to leave nature alone

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