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“Rescuing”
Orphaned
Wildlife |
Each spring and summer, people frequently stumble upon baby wild animals and assume they are orphaned. With the best intentions, people proceed to “rescue” thousands of baby birds, squirrels, possums, rabbits and raccoons not realizing that sometimes by “rescuing” the animal, they are endangering the animal’s life and compromising its chances of survival.
Whether or not an animal is orphaned depends on the animal’s age and species. Here are some tips to help you decipher if the animal you happen to stumble upon is truly an orphan and what to do. |
Birds
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If you happen to see baby birds without feathers on the ground and you can reach the nest, put them back in the nest. It is a common myth that birds abandon their chicks if a person touches them. Birds are actually not capable of smelling human scent. If you cannot reach the nest or it was destroyed, hang a wicker or woven stick basket close to where the original nest was. Woven stick baskets make perfect substitute nests and can be inexpensively purchased at supermarket florist departments or garden stores. Watch for an hour to make sure the parent birds return to the new nest to feed their chicks. If they do not return or the chick appears to be injured and/or alone, proceed to take down the nest and take them to a local wildlife rescue center as soon as possible. Do not try to feed the baby birds because they can easily choke, develop digestive problems, or drown. Many injured animals are in shock, and eating or drinking can make it worse.
If you come across baby birds hopping along the ground nearly fully feathered, these birds are probably fledglings. Fledglings will remain on the ground for several days while parent birds teach them how to fly and hunt for food - so it is very important to leave the fledgling there! Stand back at a distance and look for parent birds flying over and feeding their fledglings. If they do not return or the chick appears to be injured and/or alone, proceed to take down the nest and take them to a local wildlife rescue center as soon as possible. Be sure to keep companion animals indoors during this period, fledglings on the ground are unable to fly and are helpless targets. |
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Squirrels |
| If you spot a baby squirrel on the ground, the nest may have fallen. If the baby squirrel is injured, place it in a laundry basket or box with sheets (claws may get stuck in bath towels), keep warm, and immediately take to a local wildlife rescue center. If the baby squirrel is not injured, keep companion animals away and monitor the baby from a distance. If the baby is not retrieved by nighttime, take it to a local wildlife rescue center. |
Opossums |
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| The general rule for opossums is that if they are over 7 inches long, they are old enough to be on their own. |
| If you come across baby rabbits in an intact nest and the babies are not injured, leave them alone and do not touch the baby rabbits! Mother rabbits only visit their young 2-3 times per day to avoid attracting predators and if you are near the nest you will probably scare them away. If the nest has been disturbed, or if you think the babies are orphaned, cover the nest with surrounding natural materials, such as grass, leaves, and fur, and put an “X” of sticks or yarn over the nest to assess if the mother is returning to nurse. Try not to touch the babies because mother rabbits are very sensitive to foreign smell and may abandon their young. If the “X” is moved by the next day, the mother has returned and all is well; however, if the “X” remains undisturbed for 24 hours, carefully and quietly place the baby bunnies in a box lined with bath towels and take them to a local wildlife rescue center as soon as possible. Even though it is tempting to pet these bunnies, noises and handling can cause them to have heart attacks and die- DO NOT PET THEM! |
| Raccoons |
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