Untrained people taking in wild animals may lead to "unnecessary suffering" for the wildlife, the Scottish SPCA has warned. 

The Scottish animal welfare charity issued a warning to the public after a series of reports of people taking in animals, including foxes, fawns and birds. 

In some cases, wild animals have been put to sleep after they were taken in by the public. 

One Glasgow resident fed cow's milk to a baby deer they took in overnight which can cause life-threatening illness to the animal. 

The person was told by the SSPCA to return the fawn where they found it but did not heed the advice. 

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It is likely the doe was nearby foraging or searching for a safe resting site. 

In another instance, stress caused to a young fawn which was taken home by one person lead to the animal experiencing seizures. 

The charity also revealed one person kept a young fox in a shed for three months until it was too much to cope with and then contacted the helpline.

But by then it was not safe for the fox to be released back to the wild.

Mike Flynn, the Scottish SPCA’s chief superintendent, said: “By no means do we think people do this maliciously or with intent to harm these animals but unfortunately by trying to care for them they are doing more harm than good.

“People need to remember that these are wild animals and any interaction with humans is incredibly stressful for them. Fawns and deer in particular suffer from extreme stress and can pass away from shock.

“Often people will feed the animals the incorrect diet and this will lead to intestinal problems and can lead to the animal passing away.

“We have experienced many incidents of birds being taken home by members of the public. Some people have tried to tape up wings resulting in a maggot infestation, others have tried to feed birds paracetamol.

"Sadly, in many of these circumstances the animal needs to be put to sleep as it’s injuries have not been correctly treated from the outset."

“A hedgehog was brought to us with serious injuries to its face after being caught by a garden strimmer. The person kept it for two or three weeks and tried to give it antibiotics prescribed from the vet. Sadly, when it arrived in to our care it had to be put to sleep.

“Through good intentions people are causing these animals unnecessary suffering and unfortunately, in many cases, death.

“Wild animals do not have the centuries of domestication that companion animals do. Instinctually, wild animals see humans as a threat and any interaction will cause them a great deal of distress.

“We would ask that the public do not try and take matters in to their own hands. In the first instance people should check our website for advice and if they’d still like to speak to someone, call our animal helpline for information.

“Our animal rescue officers and team at our National Wildlife Rescue Centre are experts in treating and rehabilitating wild animals. We would urge everyone to leave the care of wild creatures to us to give them the best possible chance of recovery.”

Visit www.scottishspca.org/wildlifewise for more information on the #WildlifeWise campaign. People can reach the Scottish SPCA animal helpline on 03000 999 999.