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What you need to know...
In most cases, WILD ANIMAL
BABIES should be left alone!
The Howell Nature Center receives
many baby birds and mammals, most of whom should have been left alone. Except
for baby opossums, wild animal babies are not constantly watched by their
parents like human babies, but are left alone for extended periods while the
parents forage for food. When people do not understand thin, they are tempted to
remove the wild animal babies from their natural homes in order to save the
young animal. Though well intended, this action can actually put the wild babies
in peril since they require special diets and care that is difficult to give.
PLEASE DO NOT GIVE COW'S MILK OR BABY
FORMULA TO ANY WILD BABIES!
One thing you can do to help wild babies is to restrain your pets
when you know young unprotected wildlife is in the neighborhood. Ask your
neighbors to do the same.
Here are some suggestions for
handling problems with specific kinds of wildlife:
FEATHERLESS, DOWNY OR INCOMPLETELY FEATHERED BABY BIRDS
If you find baby birds on the ground, carefully search nearby trees and
shrubs for the nest. Place the baby back in the nest, then leave the area
quickly and your intrusion will soon be forgotten. If a next has fallen from the
tree and spilled its babies, try to replace the nest in its original position.
If you can't, you may be able to carefully tie the nest in position or use a
margarine tub (with holes punctured in bottom) lined with paper towel or dry
grass to make a nest and place it back in the tree. It will probably be accepted
if not greatly disturbed.
OLDER BABY BIRDS
Older baby birds that are on the ground should be left alone. Most feathered
baby song birds are out of the nest days before they can fly well. Parents keep
track of them for several days by their plaintive calls for food. Baby hawks and
owls leave the nest weeks before they can fly at all; they, too, are well cared
for by their parents. They are dangerous to handle and interfering with them
may anger their parents.
Ducks, shorebirds,
gulls, and game birds are born feathered and can run swiftly or paddle away from
danger moments after birth. They are seldom found abandoned and may be found
very far from water. Leave them alone and check back the next day.
GRAY & FOX SQUIRRELS
Occasionally their
leaf nests are destroyed by storms and the young fall to the ground. If there is
no evidence of a leaf nest, look for a cavity nest. Try placing the young in a
box on a branch of the tree to see if the mother will retrieve them.
COTTONTAIL RABBITS
Rabbit nests are
shallow depressions in the ground lined with fur and dry vegetation, often in
lawns. If you discover an exposed nest, cover it with loose vegetation using a
stick. Try not to touch the babies in the nest. The mother rabbit visits the
nest only in late evening and early morning, so you won't see her. To find if
the nest has been visited, lay a string or fine twig across the nest in the
evening and check to see if it has been moved in the morning.
Cottontail mothers
will accept their young even if handled or if the nest has been exposed by the
lawn mower. Lightly cover the nest with clippings it is has been exposed.
Don't be fooled by
their size. Once their eyes open, very tiny rabbits only 4 or 5 inches long are
on their own. Leave them where they are. If the rabbit is bothered by children
or pets, move it to a similar but safe location and release it.
FAWNS
These young animals
are left for hours at a time by their parents. Unless the animal is injured or
if a dead parent is found nearby, these animals are almost never abandoned.
Leave the area quickly and quietly and leave the animal alone. Return only after
a night has passed. If the animal is still there and noticeably weakened, they
probably need care. Call the HOWELL NATURE CENTER for advice.
BABY OPOSSUMS
These babies usually stay with their
mother until they are well furred. If you find one, bring it to us.
SKUNKS AND
BATS
Rehabilitation Organizations in Michigan, by law, cannot handle skunks or bats.
They are the major carriers of rabies in the wild. DO
NOT HANDLE THEM.
WE CANNOT
ACCEPT
The Howell Nature Center does not take raccoons, starlings, pigeons, house
sparrows, or any domestic or farm animal. Please call a licensed rehabilitator
or veterinarian in your area.
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