Spring has sprung and with it baby animals are beginning to pop out of their nests and eggs.
Baby animals can be cute and look rather snuggly but it’s important to know what to do when encountering them. Some might be tempted to snatch the small animals and take them home for their own but be aware that this is NOT a good idea.
What to do if you find a baby bird
First you have to determine if it’s actually a baby. Some species of birds leave the nest while they’re still relatively small, for example robins leave the nest at roughly nine to 16 days old. At nine days old, robins are still very small and their parents are still taking care of them.
If you were to find an actual baby bird they would likely be under a nest or tree. If the parents are flying around the baby then it’s best to leave them alone and let the parents take care of the baby. If it’s very clearly a baby and you can see where the nest is located you can gently take it and set it back into the nest.
Animals abandoning their babies because they smell like humans is just a myth, as long as there are no people right by the nest the parents will go back to their nest. After the bird is in the nest it’s best to leave the area and let the parents take over.
If you find a baby bird but can’t find the nest it would be best to leave it where it is and watch it from afar. If the parents fly over the baby and return to the nest without checking on it then it’s likely that it was pushed out of its nest.
If it’s a baby bird you can gently pick it up and put it into a box with a soft towel under it.
Calling an animal rescue, such as Paws, would be the next course of action. Especially with native birds such as robins, crows, or stellar jays. With other kinds of birds like the European starling most places will turn you away or offer to euthanize it because they’re an invasive species to the U.S.
If Paws are unable to take the bird and you have to hold onto them for a bit until they have room it’s important to feed them but to make sure they don’t get attached to you. Baby birds need to eat about every half hour. You can feed them watered up dry cat food. Do not let it drink just water because that can cause them to drown, you should also not feed them from your hands, instead using a tweezer or spoon.
It’s important that they’re in a warm place and that you only interact with them when necessary.
Birds imprint very easily on humans so it’s best to only visit them when absolutely necessary.
What to do if you’ve found a bunny
If you find a bunny nest just leave it alone. As it is with most animals it’s best to leave them alone to fend for themselves.
44% of all baby rabbits die in their first month in the wild and it’s best to let nature take its course. However, if you find a hurt baby bunny there is nothing stopping you from trying to beat these odds.
Rabbits are very fragile animals and die very easily so when caring for one you need to be sure to give it a lot of time and space.
After finding a hurt rabbit the best next step would be to call a wildlife expert or rehabilitation center. In the meantime you can keep it in a warm dark space where it can’t hop out of. You can keep it in something like a box.
You can feed the rabbit goats milk and feed them timothy hay. They also like dandelion leaves and flowers, buttercups and raspberry leaves. When interacting with the rabbit you should leave the food and the milk so it doesn’t get attached to you. If it’s a newborn you can use a dropper to feed it the goats milk.
You also need to be quiet when with the rabbit so it won’t scare them, bunnies are prone to having heart attacks out of fear which is why you need to be very gentle with them.
f you can’t give the rabbit to another place to live then you can keep them until they are as big as about two fists then find a place outside away from people to let them go.
At this point they should be able to fend for themselves and drink water.
Some places you can call if you’re concerned about a wild animal are places like Paws or The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Taking in an animal for a couple of days while waiting are last option resorts, it’s always best to have a professional take care of them.
It can also be illegal to take care of certain animals in the state of Washington, so make sure to check beforehand if you need to take them in.
