Seeing a young deer, elk or other species of wildlife along and just standing alone pulls on heartstrings. But, you must, repeat, you must, not touch the animal. Read on.

With temperatures rising and summer drawing near, Fish and Wildlife is reminding campers, hikers and others who enjoy spending time outdoors to leave any wildlife they encounter alone.

With deer fawns, raccoons, seal pups, baby birds and other young animals now on view around the state, the department is receiving an increasing number of calls from people asking what to do with animals they have “rescued” from the wild.

Deer often leave their young for hours at a time to forage and avoid attracting predators with their own body scent. The best thing people can do if they find a fawn without its mother is to leave it alone, so its mother can return to it. Even with the best intentions, removing animals from the wild greatly reduces their chance of survival.

Tina Hamilton, statewide dispatcher for WDFW’s law enforcement program, has seen a marked increase in reports of “rescued” wildlife in recent weeks.