The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota is busy right now as baby animals leave their nests and dens and concerned citizens bring thousands of sick, injured and abandoned critters in for care.

However, there are many misconceptions about when wild animals need a helping human hand and when to let nature take its course. Tami Vogel, the WRC’s executive director, joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition to clear up the confusion.

What types of patients are you seeing right now?

Among the recent guests are a swan, some hummingbirds, the youngest fisher the WRC has seen, a baby coyote and fawns; the avian and mammal nurseries are nearly full.

“We’re very busy right now,” Vogel said. “We've admitted about 8,300 patients already this year.”

That’s about 2,000 patients ah

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