IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Do not attempt to give it anything to eat or drink. There are many things that may seem like it will help, but may actually kill it.
Rabbits "hide their nests in plain view" often putting them in the open, for example in the middle of the lawn, as well as in brush piles and long grass. If you find a nest that has been disturbed, do all you can to restore and protect it rather than bringing the babies inside. If a dog has discovered the nest, you can put a wheelbarrow over it so that the mother can get to it but the dog cannot. You can also protect the nest with a wicker laundry basket with a hole cut in it for the mother to enter.
Nests can be moved to a safer place up to 3 feet away from the original site and can be reconstructed if necessary. This should be a last resort. To make a new nest, dig a shallow hole about 3" deep and put into it as much of the original material as you can recover, including the mother’s fur. Add dried grass as needed and put the young back in. Mother rabbits return to the nest to nurse only one or two times a day, staying away as much as possible so as not to attract predators. Create a tic-tac-toe pattern over the nest with twigs. Wait 24 hours to see if the twigs have been moved. If they have, then the mother is coming back.
Very young babies with eyes closed and ears back rarely survive in captivity, so it is very important to determine whether or not the babies really need your help. See if the babies seem warm and healthy or cold, thin and dehydrated. To test for dehydration, gently pinch the loose skin at the back of the neck. If it stays in a "tent," then the baby is dehydrated and needs rehabilitation. Another test is to stroke the genital area to stimulate elimination. If the pee is brown and gritty, the mother rabbit has not been there to help the babies urinate. The brown, gritty urine is toxic and the babies must be cared for.
Again, find a professional rehabilitator in your area. Do not attempt to feed or give the babies anything to drink. There are many things that may seem like they will help, but could actually kill them.
Older babies who are found outside of the nest may not be orphaned or in need of assistance. Babies are born without fur but develop a full coat in a week. Their eyes open in 6-10 days and in three weeks they are weaned. At a young age they leave the nest to explore but return there to sleep. If the bunny fills your hand he is old enough to explore without mom. Also look for bleeding, convulsing, fly larvae, and broken bones.
If the animal is truly orphaned or injured call a wildlife rehabilitator. Place the baby in a container, lined with soft cloth, tissues or paper towels. Try to avoid any kind of terry cloth, as toenails can be caught in its loops. Cover the baby with cloth and put the covered (but not sealed) container poked with holes for ventilation and place in a dark, quiet, warm place away from children and pets.
As baby skunks get older, they sometimes come out to explore while the mother is away. Most of the time, however, they don’t appear without her – so if you repeatedly see the baby outside alone, he may be orphaned.
If the skunk appears to be truly orphaned, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator near you. Also look for bleeding, convulsing, fly larvae, and broken bones.
Again, find a professional rehabilitator in your area. Do not attempt to feed or give the babies anything to drink. There are many things that may seem like they will help, but could actually kill them.
Keep the baby or injured animal WARM and CONTAINED and QUIET. Put tissues or towels in the box or bag to keep it warm, and cover it. Darkness makes the animal feel more secure. Loud noises are scary, so keep that in mind when selecting a spot for the box. Keep it out of drafts and away from air conditioners.
The box can be placed half on and half off a heating pad set on low. If the animal gets too warm it can moved to the other end of the box. A water bottle filled with warm water taped (to prevent rolling around) to the inside of the box will work just as well.
Please do not handle these animals. They can easily imprint on humans, making them impossible to release back into the wild. They are also illegal to raise or own without a permit.
Skunks are vectors for Rabbies. Even if the animal appears to be fine you must use caution when handling these animals. Rabies is a deadly virus and once symptoms show it is too late for treatment.
Rehabbers that raise these animals have the proper permits and the proper pre-exposure vaccinations to help protect them from Rabbies.
Do not attempt to give it anything to eat or drink. There are many things that may seem like it will help, but may actually kill it.
Skunk babies do explore briefly at times away from its mother, yet it is more likely that the skunk has lost sight of the mother.
Watch to see if the baby finds the den or if the mother retrieves him. You can put a plastic laundry basked upside down over the skunk to temporarily contain him while waiting for the mother to return.
Before approaching the skunk, make sure you have gloves on, they are known to try to bite. Also, be prepared for the mother skunk to charge you. If you see an adult skunk then get out of there right away.
Approach the skunk slowly and talk softly – if the skunk gives a warning by stamping his front feet, then stand still or back off otherwise you may be sprayed. You can approach again after the skunk calms down.
Do not attempt to give it anything to eat or drink. There are many things that may seem like it will help, but may actually kill it.
Baby squirrels should be taken indoors for the night if the mother hasn't come back and you can try again in the morning. Keep the baby or injured animal WARM and CONTAINED and QUIET.
Put tissues or towels in the box or bag to keep it warm, and cover it. Darkness makes the animal feel more secure. Loud noises are scary, so keep that in mind when selecting a spot for the box. Keep it out of drafts and away from air conditioners.
The box can be placed half on and half off a heating pad set on low. If the animal gets too warm it can moved to the other end of the box. A water bottle filled with warm water taped (to prevent rolling around) to the inside of the box will work just as well.
Also look for bleeding, convulsing, fly larvae, and broken bones.
Squirrels often have a secondary nest if one should fall out of a tree. The mom should come back to retrieve her babies when she feels it’s safe.
All animals will avoid coming to retrieve their babies if humans are around. Please watch for signs of mom without being too close or animals seeing you. If the mother has not come back to retrieve her baby within two hours and it seems skinny and dehydrated, then contact a professional rehabber immediately.
Again, find a professional rehabilitator in your area. Do not attempt to feed or give the babies anything to drink. There are many things that may seem like they will help, but could actually kill them.
Do not attempt to give it anything to eat or drink. There are many things that may seem like it will help, but may actually kill it.
Baby raccoons that have been seen for more than a few hours have probably lost their mother, since mother raccoons closely supervise their young and don’t let them out of their sight!
You can put an upside down laundry basket over the baby (with a weight on top) and monitor them for a few hours. Sometimes raccoon moms will wait until very late to retrieve her babies. Ask around to see if anyone in the neighborhood trapped an adult raccoon or saw one hit by a car. If you do not see the mother after a few hours, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator near you for assistance.
Also look for bleeding, convulsing, fly larvae, and broken bones.
Again, find a professional rehabilitator in your area. Do not attempt to feed or give the babies anything to drink. There are many things that may seem like they will help, but could actually kill them.
Do not attempt to give it anything to eat or drink. There are many things that may seem like it will help, but may actually kill it.
Birds are on the ground learning to fly. They are called fledglings. Some bird species such as robins and blue jays remain on the ground for weeks. These birds look clumsy and injured. Unless you see a visible injury, please leave the fledglings to learn on their own. Mothers are often close by. Cats and dogs are the fledgling's worry. Please keep your cat or dog indoors during this time. If you see a fledgling on the street, gently place it under a bush in a cat or dog free area. Birds that have fallen out of the nest can be placed back in. These birds will have little or no feathers. If the nest is destroyed, then make a nest from a Tupperware type bowl with paper towels inside and vent holes. Place the “nest” back in the tree.
Opossums that are not injured and are over 7-8 inches long (not including tail) should be left alone. If you should find a mother that is dead or hit by a car, check her pouch because, more than likely, her babies are alive in there. If they are, contact a professional wildlife rehabber immediately.
Deer will rarely be seen as mother and baby together. If you should see a fawn lying down without its’ mother, leave it there until morning and if it has not moved, mom may not be returning. Call a wildlife rehabber. You may not see mom during the day, but she is probably watching you. Stay away from baby so mom will feel safe to return.
Other animals are likely to be found. Contact a liscenced wildlife rehaber for information on what to do.
Again, find a professional rehabilitator in your area. Do not attempt to feed or give the babies anything to drink. There are many things that may seem like they will help, but could actually kill them.
According to the CDC, any mammal can get rabies. The most common wild reservoirs of rabies are raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, and coyotes. Domestic mammals can also get rabies. Cats, cattle, and dogs are the most frequently reported rabid domestic animals in the United States.
The rabies virus is transmitted through saliva or brain/nervous system tissue. You can only get rabies by coming in contact with these specific bodily excretions and tissues. The most common way is through a bite and a mucus membrane to mucus membrane (nose to nose).
It's important to remember that rabies is a medical urgency but not an emergency. Decisions should not be delayed. Wash any wounds immediately. One of the most effective ways to decrease the chance for infection is to wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water.
See your doctor for attention for any trauma due to an animal attack before considering the need for rabies vaccination.
I FOUND A BUNNY
I FOUND A RACCOON
I FOUND A DIFFERENT ANIMAL
RABIES
I FOUND A SKUNK
I FOUND A SQUIRREL