【英语时差8,16】野生动物救援

What should you do when a wild animal or bird needs help?   First, be careful! Mammals can carry diseases transmissible to humans, including rabies. That's why you shouldn't handle skunks¹, bats, coyotes, foxes or raccoons, but call animal control for help.

With baby critters there's a good chance a parent is nearby, waiting for you to leave. So keep kids and pets away and see if the parents return to tend their young. Parents aren't likely to reject their baby because of human scent², so you can put an uninjured baby back in a nest. It'll be much safer there than within reach of neighborhood cats! In fact, one of the best ways to help wildlife is to keep cats indoors, especially when birds and small mammals breed.

If you're sure the baby is orphaned³ or injured, or if you find an injured adult, put it in a cardboard box lined with a T-shirt or paper towels. Don't use a cage because the animal could hurt itself. You can pick up baby birds, but try gently to scoot animals into the box without touching⁴ them, using gloves and a stick.

Eating the wrong food could harm the creature, so don't try to force-feed it. You can put water nearby, but don't pour water into the animal's mouth, because fluid could get into its lungs. Put the box in a quiet, warm place and call the animal control or wildlife program in your area. What if no one answers at night? Just keep the box secure and try again in the morning.

1 skunks   

n.臭鼬( skunk的名词复数 )；臭鼬毛皮；卑鄙的人；可恶的人

参考例句：

• Slim swans and slender skunks swim in the slippery slime. 苗条的天鹅和纤细的臭鼬在滑滑的黏泥上游泳。 来自互联网
• But not all baby skunks are so lucky. -We're coming down. 但不是所有的臭鼬宝宝都会如此幸运。-我们正在下来。 来自互联网

2 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

3 orphaned   

[计][修]孤立

参考例句：

• Orphaned children were consigned to institutions. 孤儿都打发到了福利院。
• He was orphaned at an early age. 他幼年时便成了孤儿。

4 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。