When I was a kid, one of my favorite pastimes involved catching green anole lizards and bringing them into my home to raise. I'm certainly not the only child who had this habit -- I have yet to meet a single adult who didn't "adopt" or "rescue" animals from the wild. My own daughter and I once found a green tree frog and kept him as a pet over the winter, releasing him in the following spring. These experiences can be rewarding, but they can also be cruel and dangerous if carried out improperly.
If your child has brought home a wild animal with the intention of keeping it as a pet, the best -- and most important -- thing to do is to determine if it's at all acceptable to keep the animal in captivity. If the answer is no, and the animal is uninjured, you should release it immediately wherever your child found it.
Here are some things to consider before you allow your child to keep a wild animal as a pet.
1. Is it an abundant species? Check the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to see if the species is threatened, near-threatened, or endangered. Even if the species that your child brought home is in the "least concern" or "secure" category, its population may be on the decline. Allow your child to keep the animal as a pet only if it is listed as both "least concern" and "increasing," with no major threats to she species' viability.
2. Is it legal to possess this animal as a pet? Many states have laws explicitly forbidding the ownership of wild animals. In general, you can bet that it's against the law to take an animal from the wild. There are a handful of exceptions to these laws. In most states, you can legally own non-endangered wild fish, lizards, turtles and nonvenomous snakes. However, wild birds and mammals are expressly forbidden in most states. Research the species that your child has brought home to find out if your little one has unintentionally broken an important law.
3. Is the animal injured or orphaned? If your child has brought home a wild baby animal with the assumption that it has been orphaned, you must act quickly to prevent the animal from dying. It's likely that the baby animal wasn't actually orphaned, and that Mom was nearby. Even if it was orphaned, its chances of survival are extremely slim without expert care. The same is true for injured animals -- they are in very real danger without expert help. Don't re-release the animal, but do call a veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitator immediately, without delay, to save this animal's life.
4. Can you provide the animal a good life? Before deciding to keep your child's wild-caught buddy in captivity, find out if you and your child can give it extraordinarily good care. By this, I don't just mean meeting the animal's basic needs -- I mean giving it an excellent habitat, daily care, and necessary veterinary treatment. If you decide to keep your kid's wild-caught turtle, understand that this means providing a large pond with good swimming space. It means a balanced and diverse diet. It means biannual veterinary check-ups. It may mean purchasing another turtle or two to make sure that the animal's social needs are met. These pets deserve outstanding care -- not just the opportunity to wind up in your kid's shoebox.
5. Is the animal a danger to your child? Wild animals can be dangerous, especially in the case of mammals and carnivorous reptiles. If the animal feels at all threatened, it is likely to retaliate by snapping at the fingers of your child. This can lead to serious injuries, infections, and even (rarely) death. An unidentified snake or spider may be venomous, and birds and reptiles may spread disease. Almost all reptiles carry trace amounts of salmonella on their scales, which can cause fatal infections in young children. Fully understand the risks associated with keeping any animal as a pet. If necessary, schedule a consultation with your child's pediatrician to find out if you should be concerned about health risks posed by the new pet.
When in doubt, don't accept a wild animal as your child's new pet. In almost all cases, it is best to leave a wild animal where it belongs. Rarely, you and your child might arrange a way to keep the critter as a pet in a loving, adaptable and safe environment. However, unless you are able to meet every single need associated with this wild creature, it's best to have your child return it to its natural habitat.
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