California wildlife officials say people need to learn to stop taking baby wild animals home with them. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is issuing reminders to people that if they find a baby animal that looks like it’s been abandoned, leave them alone. Young animals that are removed from their natural habitat typically don’t survive very long. Those that do survive don’t often develop wilderness survival skills, so they may be unsuitable to re-release into the wild. Late spring and early summer is the peak time for wildlife in the state to bear young, and it’s common for wildlife mothers to abandon their young for periods of time when searching for food. People who think they may have discovered an abandoned young animal are encouraged to call a wildlife rehabilitation facility instead.