When encountering young wildlife who appear abandoned, be it deer, birds, raccoons or other animals, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is urging the public to leave these animals alone.

While some young animals might appear to be abandoned, usually they are not, as it is likely their mothers are watching over them from somewhere nearby, the Game Commission said in a May 20 news release.

Adult animals often leave their young while they forage for food, but they don’t go far and they do return.

Human contact can be harmful to both wildlife and people. Wild animals can lose their natural fear of humans, making it difficult, even impossible, for them to live normally ever again in the wild.

Also, anytime wildlife is handled, there’s always a risk people could contract diseases or parasites such as fleas, ticks and lice.

In addition, it’s illegal to take or possess wildlife from the wild. Under state law, the penalty for such a violation is a fine of up to $1,500 per animal.