Other Resources How to Locate a Wildlife Rehabilitator Care of Orphaned Rabbits Exotic and Small Animal Forums Exotic and Small Animal Chats Exotic and Small Animal Photo Gallery Subscribe to CritterNews, the free email newsletter of ExoticHobbyist.com! Email Address:

With baby animal season in full swing, Kathy Bernhardt, who works as a wildlife rehabilitator, gives some suggestions on what to do in case you find a baby animal.

It has happened to everyone: you are out for a walk and find a baby duckling. Your cat or dog proudly presents you with a tiny rabbit. While trimming bushes, you accidentally disturb a nest and suddenly a flurry of flightless birds are on the ground. What do you do? If you are like most of us, you want to help. Wild baby animals and birds are better left with and raised by wild parents, but sometimes the parents are hurt or dead. Here are some tips for dealing with the baby mammals and birds that you may encounter this spring.

The First Rule:

If it has four legs and runs from you or two wings and flies from you, leave it alone!

The Second Rule:

If you find a wild baby, put it back unless it is injured or it is unsafe to do so. Wild animals do not abandon their babies. Check later to see if the parents have come back or retrieved the baby.

The Third Rule:

Get to know a local wildlife rehabilitator. Memorize their telephone number. These volunteers often work out of a central facility, but sometimes work from home. Check out How to Locate a Wildlife Rehabilitator for listed centers or individuals near you and call to ask if anyone is closer. (This is not a complete list.)

Featherless Birds

If the bird is not injured, locate the nest and place the young one back in it. Birds are unable to detect your scent on their young, and after you leave they will quickly forget your intrusion. Often, the parent birds will be sending alarm calls from nearby or even swoop at you to get you to leave the baby alone. Be sure to place the bird in the correct nest. Not only does each species design their nest specifically to keep its babies protected and warm, but the parent bird may toss out unfamiliar babies. If both the nest and the nestling are down, you can tie the nest back up into the tree. Try to place it as near as possible to the original. Birds can get tangled in thin string or wire, so use heavy twine. If the nest is torn apart, a new one can be made out of a wicker basket or margarine tub about the same size as the original nest, lined with dryer lint, dry leaves, or pine needles. Do not use fresh grass or mud since they can harbor bacteria, or cotton or cloth since bird's feet and nails can get caught in it. Drainage holes should be punched in the bottom of the tub in case of rain. Tie the new "nest" in the tree near where the old one was and watch from a distance. If the parents have not returned in an hour of consistent watching, the bird should be brought to a rehabilitator. If the babies are injured, call a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. If they are cold, warm them in your hands, and then place them in a small covered box on a heating pad set to low. Do not feed or give water.

Downy or Incompletely Feathered Birds

These are older nestlings, not quite ready to fly. Find the nest and place the young back in it. If you are unable to find the nest, the bird should be taken to a rehabilitator as soon as possible. If the bird is replaced in the nest, watch to see that the parent bird returns.

Fledglings (older baby birds)

These birds are completely feathered, can hop about, and may be able to flutter or fly short distances. Leave them alone unless they are being attacked by a dog or cat. This stage of life is a natural part of a bird's training and development. The parents keep track of their young and feed them for some time after they leave the nest. Often, the parents will protest loudly or attack when you approach the young. If you have watched from a distance and after an hour of consistent watching no parent has been seen, the bird may be caught and brought to a rehabilitator.

Young Precocial Birds

Ducks, pheasants, quail, killdeer, and others have the unique ability to walk, eat, and follow their parents soon after hatching. The mother will protect and guide them, show them food sources, and keep them warm. If you see a baby like this running around, leave it alone and watch from a window. Keep children and pet animals away. If the parent is nearby, it will give a specific call, and the baby will hide until the parent can collect the young one when it feels it is safe. If after an hour of continual watching no parent has been seen, the bird should be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator. Baby ducks should never be placed in water, since they will quickly waterlog and drown without the protective oils deposited from the parent's feathers.

Raptors (falcons, hawks, owls, vultures)

Nestling and fledgling raptors should be replaced in nests whenever possible. Fledglings are on the ground as they learn to fly and are fed and protected by the parents. Parent birds will attack if their babies are bothered or threatened. If the bird cannot be replaced in its nest or no parent is sighted in the area after an hour or two of consistent watching, please call a rehabilitator to receive specific instructions. Please remember that the feet of a raptor are extremely strong and the talons serve as its primary means of defense. Even babies can inflict serious damage to soft flesh. A towel, blanket, jacket other light weight item, which can completely cover the bird, can be used to capture the bird. A solid net works best, but is not always available. Although these are young birds, their means of defense are as dangerous as an adult raptor.

Rabbits

Rabbit nests are shallow indents or burrows in the ground, commonly in fields, lawns, and gardens. The mother lines the nests with fur and dry grass. They are often found in dog runs or alongside a driveway. It is best to leave them alone until the babies leave at about three to four weeks after birth. Keep domestic animals away. If you accidentally disturb such a nest, cover it with dry grass. Place two twigs or light strings crisscross on top of the nest and check in the morning to see if they have been moved by the mother rabbit entering. Since the mother visits her young only once or twice a day, usually at dawn and dusk, do not expect to see her. Rabbit mothers will return to the nest even if the young have been handled or if the nest has been exposed by a lawn mower. At three to four weeks, rabbits are self-sufficient. They sit up, hold their ears erect, hop about, eat whole foods, and look like miniature adults. Leave them alone. Only if the mother is confirmed dead or missing should a baby rabbit be brought to a rehabilitator.

Raccoons

These young animals are frequently left alone by their mothers for several hours at a time, even when the young raccoons leave their hollow tree nest or den to accompany their mother on her journeys. Young raccoons found by themselves are almost never orphans. Mother raccoons forage at night and stay in their dens during the day. If the mother has not returned by late morning and the babies are making loud noises, it can be assumed something has happened to the mother. Only if the mother is confirmed dead or missing should raccoons be brought to wildlife rehabilitator. Even tiny babies can inflict painful bites and scratches, so do not handle without heavy gloves.

Fawns

During the first two weeks of life, fawns are often left alone by their mothers. The mother returns every few hours to nurse. Fawns who are found curled up and quiet should be left alone and checked again in four to six hours. Only if they are standing or crying, appear very weak, or have been injured should they be rescued. Some facilities cannot accept deer, so be sure to check for one that does. Most fawns brought in to facilities have actually been kidnapped; there was no reason for "rescue." Please be very sure the parent is not coming back before touching a fawn.

Opossums

Baby opossums stay in their mother's pouch for about ten weeks. When they emerge from the pouch, the tiny youngsters are often seen accompanying their mothers on nocturnal foraging expeditions. If the opossum is six to eight inches long (not including the tail) it is independent of the mother and should be left alone. Smaller opossums found wandering alone should be taken to a rehabilitator.

Squirrels

Occasionally squirrel leaf nests are destroyed in storms and young squirrels fall to the ground. Unless squirrels are functioning independently of the mother, they need to be brought to a wildlife rehabilitator. Since baby squirrels dehydrate quickly in the sun and are chilled easily on cold nights, they need to be brought in as quickly as possible. Cold babies should lightly wrapped in a non-terry cloth and placed in a covered box on a heating pad set to low. If the squirrel is uninjured, appears healthy and the mother is around, it is possible that she will retrieve the baby and return it to the nest. If she does not retrieve the baby within two hours, it should be rescued.

Remember: wild animals never make good pets. They may be cute and sweet when young, but once they reach sexual maturity they can be very destructive and sometimes dangerous. Animals raised by humans, especially the larger, more dangerous ones, can pose a major threat as adults. Without their natural fear of humans, they have been known to attack and sometime seriously hurt people. Wild animals and birds are almost always protected by both state and federal laws and the fines for possessing them without proper permits can be very stiff. Raising a wild animal to be wild and independent of humans is often a daunting and difficult task. Wildlife rehabilitators are trained and licensed to do this properly.

So, next time you are out for a walk and a baby bird flutters to the ground in front of you, remember to wait, watch, and listen before assuming it needs your help. And support your local wildlife rehabilitator!

Kathy Bernhardt has been a licensed wildlife rehabilitator since 1992, an instructor and outreach educator for her local organization since 1995, and specializes in crows.