Because of volunteers like Cindy Ransonet, injured or abandoned raccoons, opossums, squirrels and other wild animals have a place to be cared for and released back into the wild.

But the ongoing efforts of Ransonet and other area wildlife rehabilitators are often hindered by the large number of wild animals they receive from people who try to keep them as pets.

Though the furry and sometimes friendly creatures may seem like ideal pets, Ransonet said the animals are still wild at heart with instincts that eventually take over.

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“People raise them, thinking they’re doing the right thing,” Ransonet said. “If they don’t bring them to a rehab center, they’re only raising problem animals.”

Ransonet, who works with a local group of rehabilitators called Born to be Wild, said animals who were raised as pets have a hard time adapting when they are placed back in the wild.

“The animals aren’t learning real-life situations,” said Nick Gravois, a volunteer from New Iberia who works with Ransonet. “They don’t know how to climb trees or do things for themselves, so they’ll continue to approach houses and ask for handouts.”

Gravois introduced Jacque, a kit (young raccoon) he is rehabilitating, as an example of what not to do when wild animals are found.

“He was brought to me having slept in the bed with people,” said Gravois while Jacque sat on his lap. “Now he cries when you walk away from him.”

Ransonet said of 25 raccoons she has cared for this year, at least one-third of them were raised as pets and fed baby formula or other things that can potentially harm the animals.

“You wouldn’t feed a newborn baby dog food,” said Ashley Fontenot, a federally certified rehabilitator who works for Wildlife in Distress in Lafayette. “Raccoons need certain nutrients, and Carnation baby formula isn’t going to give them what they need.”

Keeping wildlife as pets pose other problems, and not just for the animals, Ransonet said.

Raccoons and other wild mammals often have distemper and carry zoonotic diseases such as round worms and rabies, Fontenot said. Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be transferred from humans to animals.

“These are not like domestic animals,” said Fontenot. “When you bring a wild animal into your home, you can almost guarantee you’re bringing in a disease.”

Another problem volunteers often see is animals that were taken from a nest in their habitat or kidnapped from a healthy mother. “People need to know that there are repercussions involved when you do that,” Fontenot said.

If a person not trained and certified in wildlife rehabilitation comes across a wild animal, Fontenot said he or she should call a certified wildlife rehabilitator immediately.

“You shouldn’t even try to catch them yourself,” she said. “Call one of us.”

When people adopt a wild animal, they are not only endangering the animal, they also are breaking state law.

Carrie Salyers from the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said it is illegal to “possess any live wild game bird or live quadruped (four-legged animal).”

The fines vary in terms of species, she said, ranging from $250 to $750, and can also result in up to 90 days of jail time. Depending on the species, the person charged may also be responsible for court costs and restitution fees.

If a person would like to have hands-on experience with wild animals, Salyer said they can volunteer at a state-certified location or go through the process to become licensed.

“If someone wants to do this, they can do it legally and the right way,” said Fontenot.

For the volunteers, finding free time to care for the creatures is not the only obstacle they face. Ransonet said volunteers must find the financial resources to pay for the food, medicines and all other animal necessities, and also pay for their own vaccinations.

For more information on wildlife rehabilitators or to make a donation, contact Ransonet at 339-2828, or Wildlife in Distress Inc. in Lafayette at 232-0121.