NORWAY – Attempting to rescue an orphaned wild animal may result in more harm than good, as Game Warden Rick Stone is quick to point out.

In the last week alone, Stone has put down three raccoons: two because they appeared sick with rabies or distemper, and a third because a woman took it in, handled it and then passed it around to others. The latter was less than 3 months old, Stone said.

On Thursday, Stone said he had the young raccoon in a cage in the bed of his pickup truck. He was preparing to “dispatch” the animal, he said, meaning he was about to kill it and send its remains to a state lab in Augusta for testing.

“If you care, leave them there,” he quoted from a state ad campaign intended to discourage people from “rescuing” wildlife. He looked discouraged as the raccoon chattered behind him in its cage.

It is not only illegal to take in wild animals, but also dangerous for all involved. Rabies, a deadly disease, is spread through saliva. Because of this, it is easy to contract. The more frequently a sick animal is handled, the more likely it is that the disease will spread, Stone said. There are also viruses like distemper that can be passed along in the handling of wild animals.

When Stone got the call to pick up the third raccoon last week and learned that it had been handled by several people, he knew immediately he would have to send the animal for testing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats are common carriers of the rabies virus. Domestic animals such as cats, dogs and cattle count for only about 10 percent of rabies cases, according to the federal agency. Rabies can be deadly to humans as well as their pets.

Because of this, no wild animals should be handled by the general public, Stone said. Instead, people should contact their local game warden or someone trained in wildlife rehabilitation, such as Melody Echo Thurlow of Shedd Road.

Thurlow reported the young raccoon Stone picked up Thursday. She was tending to six other orphaned raccoons when reached by phone on Monday. The one Stone had picked up, however, was a lost cause from the moment he reached her doorstep.

“People aren’t realizing that even if they’re babies they can carry rabies,” Thurlow said. She added that the raccoon picked up by Stone may have been healthy, but it wasn’t worth the risk of allowing it to go untested.

And diseases aren’t the only things one should be concerned about when picking up a wild animal. There’s a penalty, too. On Thursday, Stone was in the process of tracking down the person who had initially taken in the young raccoon so he could charge him or her with illegal possession of a wild animal.

The minimum fine for keeping wildlife in captivity is $100, Stone said, but there’s a $500 fine for the possession.

Thurlow said she felt badly for the person who will likely be charged in this case, but said people need to learn how to handle wildlife responsibly. In most instances, she said, even when a baby animal appears to be alone, often the mother is nearby and will still tend to it.

“Hopefully this will encourage people who are interested in animals to go out and learn the right thing, because it can mean life or death for the animal,” Thurlow said.

Thurlow has volunteered to answer wildlife questions. She is licensed to rehabilitate animals and birds, and may be reached at 527-2310.