DON’T TAKE WILDLIFE FROM THE WILD
SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (April 4, 2025) – Don’t remove wildlife from their habitat! Before you pick up or attempt to assist any wildlife, no matter its age or condition, remember that it is best to leave all wildlife, including young birds, bunnies, or fawns where they are found, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (DNR WRD).
“We know you want to help. But sometimes the help we want to provide is actually doing more harm than good,” explains Ben McCullar, wildlife biologist and program manager of the Georgia DNR WRD Urban Wildlife Program. “Wildlife, even young ones, rarely need interference from humans. In fact, taking wildlife out of their natural environment and bringing them into your home often takes away the animal’s ability to then survive in the wild, where they belong,”
The best thing people can do when they see any wildlife of any age is to immediately move away and leave it exactly as they found it for at least 24 hours. If the animal is still there after this wait time, reach out to a local WRD office for guidance (GeorgiaWildlife.com/about/contact).
But what if the animal is “orphaned”? McCullar says that “While it may appear that a young animal is alone, the adult animal is usually close by even though you may not be able to see it. Adult animals, such as deer, spend most of the day away from their young to reduce the risk of a predator finding the young animal.”
Wildlife, especially young animals, demand a great deal of care and have specific nutritional requirements. If they are not cared for properly, they cannot be released or retain the ability to survive on their own. Persons not licensed and trained in wildlife rehabilitation should not attempt to care for wildlife. Georgia law prohibits the possession of most wildlife without a permit.
For more information, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/living-with-wildlife.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE O-FISH-IAL WINNERS OF THE 2025 FISH ART CONTEST®
Perry, GA (April 4, 2025) — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is proud to announce the Georgia winners of the Fish Art Contest. The Wildlife Forever Fish Art Contest, which includes the Georgia Fish Art Contest, is an international competition designed to ignite children’s imagination and inspire them to discover more about fish and fishing. The program is free to enter and open to youth in kindergarten through grade 12 anywhere in the world.
“The Fish Art Contest offers a unique opportunity to connect students to the outdoors through science and creative art,” said Chrystal Sherwood, Georgia State-Fish Art Coordinator. “Since it started in 1997, this free program has received artwork from over 85,000 students across 46 countries. We appreciate the teachers and parents that encourage participation as we believe that learning more about these species helps create better future stewards of the environment.”
GRADES 10-12
First place: Luca Camay, Marietta (Flathead catfish)
Second place: Kierstyn Lukehart, Elko (Lionfish)
Third place: Adesola Aluko, Marietta (Tarpon)
Go Fish Georgia Award: Hannah Yang, Suwanee (Shoal Bass)
GRADES 7-9
First place: Steven Ju, Marietta (Brook Trout)
Second place: Siyu Diao, Suwanee (Largemouth Bass)
Third place: Crystal Zhen, Watkinsville (Sailfish)
Go Fish Georgia Award: George Cheng, St. Mary’s (Atlantic Tarpon)
GRADES 4-6
First Place: Sarah Tan, Duluth (Mahi-mahi)
Second Place: Isabella Ann Puzyreva, Cumming (Yellow bass)
Third Place: Lucas Kutz, Dacula (Lionfish)
Go Fish Georgia Award: Emily Han, Suwanee (Rainbow trout)
GRADES K-3
First Place: Ryan Gu, Duluth (Largemouth bass)
Second Place: Enya Deng, Suwanee (Bluegill)
Third Place: Anne Kongoasa, Duluth (Cutthroat Trout; also nominated for the Western Native Trout Award)
Go Fish Georgia Award: Xin Chen, Duluth (Yellow Perch)
Mighty Minnow Award (this is a new award selected by each state. It celebrates the creativity and talent of kindergarten participants in the K-3 age group, giving the youngest artists a chance to be honored for their efforts and abilities, based on age-appropriate expectations).
Ambrose Byers, Blairsville (Bass)
About the Go Fish Georgia Award: This award was created to celebrate fish species commonly sought by Georgia anglers.
Artwork on Display: Artwork from Georgia winners will be on display at the Go Fish Education Center (GoFishEducationCenter.com/) in Perry, Georgia for one year (starting June 2025).
All the 2025 National and International winners can be found at https://www.WildlifeForever.org/home/fish-art/2023-winners/ (after May 2025). Digital images are available upon request.
Complete information about the Fish Art Contest available at FishArt.org.
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About the Fish Art Program: The award-winning Wildlife Forever Art of Conservation Fish Art® Contest, is supported by Title Sponsor Bass Pro Shops, International Game Fish Association, the USDA Forest Service, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, and National Fish Habitat Partnership. Bringing youth, art, and conservation together, the Fish Art program is free to enter. Visit FishArt.org.
About Wildlife Forever: Our mission is to conserve America’s outdoor heritage through conservation education, preservation of habitat and management of fish and wildlife. Wildlife Forever is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to investing resources on the ground. Recent audits reveal that 96% of every dollar supports our award-winning conservation programs. Join Today and learn more about the Art of Conservation® Fish Art Contest™ and Songbird Art Contest™, Clean Drain Dry Initiative™ and Prairie City USA® at WildlifeForever.org.