If you're taking a walk through the woods and stumble upon an injured or clearly distressed animal, you might wonder, what should I do? Here is the answer.

Depending on which species of animal you encounter, of course your reaction could be different. If you walk by a deer fawn, with the cute little white spots, you might feel inclined to try to figure out what is going on yourself. On the flip side, if you see a hurt mountain lion, yeah, you might just end up running in the other direction. But which, or what is the correct thing to do?

Imagine Walking Up On Baby Eagle With No Mom Around?

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Here is the thing, there is a good chance momma eagle isn't at the scene for a reason. She could be out gathering food and you're just disturbing her home along with her chick. Also, the last thing you want is momma bird to fly on in to see you, that scene would not end well.

So What Do We Mean Here?

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If you see an animal stuck in a tree, or hurt on the ground with what could be a broken leg. Anything that seemingly is an emergency, you call for help, but not 911. You might think that is the way to go, but instead you call a Wildlife Rehabilitator according to the New York State Department of Environmental Services. A simple phone call to the nearest DEC office should suffice.

But Don't Just Call Over Anything

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The DEC does go into further detail about what behavior would specifically warrant a call, for that, click here. Some species display warning signs differently, a deer fawn crying might not mean it is injured. But another species of animal, a cry might mean danger or fear. They are the experts, and give an immense amount of detail that can help in those crucial moments. Moments crucial for not only the animal, but perhaps your safety.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Why do cats have whiskers? Why do they meow? Why do they nap so much? And answers to 47 other kitty questions:

Why do they meow? Why do they nap so much? Why do they have whiskers? Cats, and their undeniably adorable babies known as kittens, are mysterious creatures. Their larger relatives, after all, are some of the most mystical and lethal animals on the planet. Many questions related to domestic felines, however, have perfectly logical answers. Here’s a look at some of the most common questions related to kittens and cats, and the answers cat lovers are looking for.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

LOOK: Stunning animal photos from around the world

From grazing Tibetan antelope to migrating monarch butterflies, these 50 photos of wildlife around the world capture the staggering grace of the animal kingdom. The forthcoming gallery runs sequentially from air to land to water, and focuses on birds, land mammals, aquatic life, and insects as they work in pairs or groups, or sometimes all on their own.