Rabbits

Rabbits are extremely difficult to rehabilitate. The stress of human handling can cause shock and even death. Mothers leave the nest during the day to keep attention away from the young and only return to nurse babies at dusk and dawn.

Baby cottontail rabbits are on their own at about three weeks of age and about 4&rdquo long so letting mother raise them and keeping children and pets away for this short time is their best chance of survival.

If you have found or uncovered a nest of rabbits and they show no signs of injury, put the babies back where you found them and cover them up with the nesting material. Moving a rabbit's nest is not recommended. To be sure mother is coming back to feed them, place pieces of string over the nest in a checkerboard fashion. If the string has been moved the next feeding time (dawn or dusk), the mother has returned to feed them.

Squirrels

If a baby squirrel is following people and pets, or crawls up your leg, it is looking for food and needs rescuing.

Sometimes a squirrel will fall out of a nest and mom will retrieve it, no matter how big it seems, as long as it is warm and healthy. If you&rsquove found a single baby squirrel beneath a tree and it shows no signs of needing rescuing, put it in a small container attached to or at the base of the tree, leave the area and monitor from a distance. Keep the baby warm by filling a small soda bottle with hot water, wrap it in a towel, and brace it inside the box. If the mother has not retrieved the baby in an hour or two, it might need rescuing. Never leave a baby squirrel out overnight since the mother will not retrieve it after dark. It needs rescuing, at least temporarily, at this point.

If you have found more than one baby squirrel at the bottom of a tree, the babies might be orphaned and may need rescuing.

Raccoons

Older baby raccoons often play under their mother&rsquos supervision. Before disturbing them, observe from a distance to see if the mother is indeed watching over them.

Baby raccoons seen crawling on the ground or wandering on their own during the day are usually orphaned and need rescuing.

If you have recently excluded a raccoon from your attic or other area and found babies left behind, immediately put the babies in a small box as close as possible to the entrance, leave the area and monitor from a distance. Keep the baby warm by filling a small soda bottle with hot water, wrap it in a towel, and brace it inside the box. As long as the babies are warm and not in imminent danger, leave them out during the first night, at least for a few hours, since the mother will usually retrieve them during the night.

Skunks

Skunks often take older babies out for walks during the night. If you see a baby during the night, observe from a distance to see if the mother is watching over them.

If you find a baby skunk out during the day, it is usually orphaned and needs rescuing.

Chipmunks and Groundhogs

It is very unusual to find a baby chipmunk or groundhog. If you find one, it is probably orphaned and needs rescuing.

Fawns

Fawns are often found lying quietly in a field or by the side of a road. Mothers leave the young during the day and come back several times a day to feed them. If you find a fawn and it is not crying, leave it there (leave quickly so it doesn&rsquot follow) and check back in 4-8 hours. If it is injured or crying, then it needs help. Note that the Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary does not have the facilities to rehabilitate deer, but if you find an orphaned fawn, call us to find the closest rehabilitator.

• Wildlife Problems
• Evicting Unwanted Tenants
• Choosing An Animal Control Company
• Wildlife Emergencies: Is the animal injured, sick or orphaned?
• Found A Wildlife Orphan?

RVWS HOTLINE: 613-258-9480