CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. (WRGB) — As spring nears, wildlife experts are urging residents to exercise caution and restraint when encountering wild animals in their backyards. During a community event on Sunday afternoon, Clifton Park residents learned about local wildlife and how to respond if they suspect an animal is unwell.
Terri Cook, Clifton Park Animal Control director, emphasized the importance of leaving wild animals alone. “People just need to leave them alone,” Cook said. “They’ve been here a lot longer than we have. And they don’t cause a problem unless people are being unusual. They don’t need to be pets. They don’t need to be saved.”
Trish Marki, a wildlife rehabilitator with North Country Wild Care, advised residents on how to avoid attracting wild animals, such as bears, to their yards. “Well, if you know there’s a bear in your neighborhood and it’s going, for instance, after bird feeders, take your bird feeders down, bring them in,” Marki said. She warned that failing to do so could result in a ticket from the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for feeding bears…