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What To Do If You Find a Wild Animal
All species differ greatly in how they care for their young (humans included). What you perceive as an abandoned baby may be typical behavior for any number of mother animals that cope with humans or predators on a daily basis.

What To Do If You Find a Wild Animal ...

Fact:   Mother cottontail rabbits only visit their nests twice a day, usually at dawn and dusk. Their young are buried a few inches below ground under dead grass and leaves. Camouflage and minimal activity are their weapons against detection. Cottontail mothers cannot move their young from place to place, and are not able to find a relocated nest.

Fact:   Baby squirrels, eyes opened and crawling up and down tree trunks, are old enough to be doing just that.

Fact:   Instinct is stronger than scent. Wild mothers will not abandon their babies because they have been touched or have "human scent" on them. For example, birds have a very poor sense of smell. You are not encouraged to handle nests, babies or eggs, but parents will not fly away forever if you do.

Fact:   Woodducks hatch adorable, irresistible babies. They are incredibly cute and tiny. People find it very hard to resist picking them up and cuddling them. Many want to show the kids and share their "find" with friends. These babies are so highly strung that even being held and spoken to can stress them to the point of death. They will seem perfectly fine for a few hours before they literally "drop dead". DO NOT handle them!

Remember, we represent predators to wild animals, even babies. Even if they are in dire need, they will not welcome a rescue. Make sure they need to be rescued before you act.

Tips on Determining and Helping a Baby in Need
A baby exposed in a wide open area with no cover is in trouble. Look for a tree they might have fallen from. Listen for the agitated calls of its mother. Is there a predator in the area? Has an area recently been affected by construction, tree trimming, a fire, or a flood? You can usually determine where the baby may have come from.

If at all possible, try to let mom take care of the youngster. Put the bird back in the nest if possible. Leave the baby squirrel (if eyes are open) at the base of the tree, put bunnies back in their nest and cover them. Mother raccoon will come for her youngster in time. Call a rehabilitator if you have questions about the specifics of that species.

Pink, hairless babies with their eyes closed are in grave danger if separated from mom for even short time. If you need to remove them from a dangerous situation, follow these steps:

Gently warm the baby by placing it in a shoebox or container that can be set half on/half off a heating pad set on a low setting or wrap a hot water bottle (filled with very warm but not hot water) in a towel and place it in the container with the baby.

Line the container with an old T-shirt or towel.

DO NOT feed the baby anything. Dehydration must be handled by a trained rehabilitator. Only cows and humans can digest cow's milk. Feeding a wild animal baby cow's milk or baby formula will surely kill it.

Immediately call a wildlife rehabilitator for further instructions. The quicker you act, the greater chances this baby has to survive, and to be returned to the wild.

 Important Information
All birds, mammals, and reptiles will continue to care for their babies even if the babies have been touched by humans. They always need help if they are cold, injured, bleeding, or if there are flies around. An adult that can be easily approached needs immediate help. An orphaned/injured animal needs to be kept warm and quiet to prevent further damage. Never give the animal anything to eat or drink. Doing so can cause permanent damage and even death.

 All mammals can be transported in a box that is just large enough for the animal to fit comfortably. Do not use terry cloth towels or material with holes. Birds can be transported in a paper sack or small box lined with paper towels. Research shows that 4 million wild birds, and at least as many mammals, are killed by cats every day. The bacteria in cat saliva is deadly to our native wildlife.

Featherless baby birds that fall from the nest can be warmed in your hands and put back into the nest, or an artificial nest can be made of a margarine tub or sturdy basket lined with torn paper towels. Watch from a distance to ensure the parents are returning to feed the young once they are returned to the nest.

 Baby birds with most of their feathers that are on the ground are fledglings and have developed enough feathers to be able to learn to fly. The parents kick them out of the nest for flying lessons. Baby birds must learn how to fly from the ground up, so leaving them on the ground is critical. Fledglings can be recognized by the downy feathers on their heads. They try to flap their wings in imitation of their parents, and their mouths open frequently hoping that they will be fed. The parents are always nearby. Please do not interfere with this relationship between the parent birds and their young.

 Wood ducks nest in holes in trees, often in urban neighborhoods. Newly hatched chicks and their mom jump out of the tree and, because the babies can't get wet yet, they all start walking to water. If you see baby ducks following their mom across lawns and parks, quietly step aside until they have left the area. These fragile baby wood ducks die very quickly when people attempt to touch them or care for them. All baby waterfowl seen without their families should be reported to NWRI.

 The female cottontail rabbit can make her nest anyplace. She spends all day and night grazing nearby and feeds her young for only about 5 minutes twice a day. Bunnies are weaned & on their own in 2 or 3 weeks. Yard activities can continue normally after that time. Leave bunnies alone if they have fur and are out of the nest. Rabbits "freeze" in one position in the presence of danger. Moving a bunny nest means certain death, the mother will not be able to find it, even if it's only a small distance away from her original nest. If a baby bunny is fully furred and out of it's nest, leave it alone! Do not pick it up, even if you can get close enough to do so. It is independent of its mother and will move on in a few days.

If you find a nest of baby rabbits and are afraid the mother is gone, leave all of the babies in the nest (or put them back!) and make an "X" of straw or dental floss over the opening of the nest. Then LEAVE THE NEST ALONE for 24 hours, and give the mother a chance to come back. Do not approach the nest, even for a peek, and do not stand anywhere in the yard, even from a distance, to watch for it. The mother will not come when you are there or if you are making frequent visits to the nest. If in 24 hours the "X" has been moved, you will know the mother is feeding the bunnies, and you should leave them alone. If the "X" has not been moved, contact NWRI so the bunnies can be admitted for rehabilitation.

If you know the mother rabbit is caring for the babies, but a dog or cat is bothering the rabbit nest, please put the top half of a cat carrier over the nest and weight it down with a large rock or other heavy object. The mother will continue to slip under the carrier top to feed her young, but the dog or cat will not be able to reach them.

 Baby squirrels that are out of their nest need immediate help and should be reported to NWRI. Only rarely will the mother squirrels return for babies out of the nest. Often other adult squirrels will kill orphaned squirrels. When squirrels first get their fur they are unafraid of humans. Any ground squirrel which is above ground or that cannot move fast enough to get away from you needs immediate help. Sometimes nests of baby ground squirrels or burrows of hibernating ground squirrels are unearthed. These animals need immediate help.

 Occasionally there is an adult bat on the ground with babies hanging from her or a baby bat with no adult present. Never touch a bat with your bare hands. Please call NWRI for specific instructions regarding all bats.

 If you find a dead mother opossum with babies in her pouch, use gloves and an old sweatshirt and place her, with her babies, into a box and call NWRI. Baby opossums that are 7" from nose to rump do not need to be rescued. If you find one baby opossum (or a dead mother) be sure to look around for more babies that may be hiding. The presence of an opossum in your yard is not cause for alarm - they are not aggressive animals, their diet is insects, bird food on the ground, and road kill. This makes them especially welcome in many urban backyards.

 Expectant mother raccoons search for safe, cozy dens in which to deliver their kits. If a chimney isn't capped or eaves have holes in them, your chimney or attic might become a raccoon nursery. If that happens, NWRI can recommend humane methods to encourage them to go elsewhere. If you see baby raccoons during the day, unaccompanied by an adult, chances are they are orphans and need to be rescued. NWRI will advise you on what you should/should not do.

 For all carnivores (foxes, bobcats, coyotes, etc.), please call NWRI's hotline for specific instructions regarding handling.

 For nuisance problems, live-trapping and relocating is NOT the humane solution. During spring and summer you will likely be separating a mother from her babies, leaving them to starve. This is a very cruel consequence of trapping wildlife. It's a tough life for wildlife, please remember that, and have a little compassion when they may cause you some inconvenience in their simple efforts to survive. Please see our Problems With Wildlife section for more information on dealing with nuisance wildlife problems.


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