The viral video of a man rescuing a bunny from the California wildfires was deemed a hero. Now animal experts are saying otherwise.

This is one of the worst wildfires California has seen on record. Thousands of homes have been destroyed and 43 people have perished.

One man risked his life (or at least his skin) to save a rabbit from the impending blaze. The video of the frantically trying to save the rabbit quickly when viral. Now there's talks of his actions not being as heroic as people might have thought.

Local animal experts say that any animals that are found near the fire should be left alone. It has not been confirmed what type of rabbit it was, but if it was a desert cottontail (a type of rabbit common in Southern California), there's a good chance that the rabbit had babies underground in their burrows protected from the fire. This is the time of the year when these rabbits give birth, according to Live Science.

While it's tempting to help these animals, more harm is potentially being done. California Fish and Wildlife spokesperson, Peter Tira says, "If you encounter a wild animal in our neighborhood, leave it alone. Fire or no fire, just let the animals be. Fires are something animals have to deal with constantly."

So while the video looks to be heartwarming, it's example of what not to do. See the video below.

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