Wildlife officials caution that mothers of deer and other animals often leave their young alone while they search for food. And though well intentioned, young animals that are picked up and removed from the wild often don’t survive.

“It is a common mistake to believe a young animal has been abandoned when it is found alone, even if the mother has not been observed in the area for a long period of time,” Nicole Carion, statewide wildlife rehabilitation coordinator for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said in the department’s blog.

“Chances are the mother is off seeking food, or she could be nearby, waiting for you to leave.”

Indeed, SPCA of Monterey County officials caution mother deer will leave their young deer alone in a tall grass or brush for most of day while they forage for food, returning at dusk.

“These fawns are not abandoned; the mother is likely out of sight watching you,” Dawn Fenton, the group’s Education and Outreach Manager, said in a statement.

“If you find a fawn lying quietly in the grass leave it where it is, stay back and out of sight, and keep dogs as far away as possible. The mother will not return if she senses people or dogs are too close,” Fenton said.