Animal Handling (Northern Minnesota Ecology w/Cornell College)

Animal handling is an extremely valuable skill in wildlife biology. Respect and patience are some of the keys to being successful when working with animals big or small. On my ecology class trip with Cornell College I was lucky enough to encounter several wild animals ripe for handling.

However, as a scientist it is my duty to respect animals and not handle them without permits. It is actually illegal to handle many animals without permits, even as a citizen!

Don't let this deter you from enjoying wildlife! Maintain a respectful distance and in our modern era, photography can preserve your experience beyond just that moment. We came across a snapping turtle nest that had been raided by coyotes judging my the tracks. (Dogs were eliminated as a suspect because the tracks had direct registry). The young snapping turtles were safe to handle, I had handled snapping turtles with USD, but these turtles were protected so we just watched the survivors crawl to the water.

#animalhandling #respect #safedistance