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Return to first screen, How to Rescue Baby Mammals

~Contributed by Shannon K. Jacobs

 

If you find baby bunnies:

  • If their nest has been damaged, it can be repaired. Look for a shallow depression lined with grass/fur. Place babies in nest with light layers of grass to hide them. Leave the area, or the mother won't return. (Mothers return only at dawn and dusk.)

  • If you find healthy bunnies that are 4-5 inches long, able to hop, with eyes open and ears up, they do not need help. They are able to survive on their own. Leave them alone. Questions? call a wildlife rehabilitator.

If you find a seal pup or a fawn:

  • Mothers normally leave their babies to feed.

  • If baby looks cold, hungry, diseased, or confused; or if dogs, other animals, or people threaten its safety, call a wildlife rehabilitator or park ranger.

  • Otherwise, leave the baby alone and leave the area. The mother will not return if people or pets are present.

A BABY'S BEST CHANCE FOR SURVIVAL IS ITS MOTHER.

If you find a baby opossum:

  • If you find an opossum alone, mom will not come back to get him. Visualize the body-only length (excluding the tail), compared with a dollar bill; if smaller, he needs to go to a wildlife rehabilitator. If you have to chase the animal for a period of time, the opossum does not need to be rescued.

  • Call the DFW Wildlife Hotline 972-234-WILD (9453), and we will put you in touch with a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. Do not attempt to raise the opossum; they have very specific dietary needs.

 

 

(Only adults should rescue baby mammals. Seek
guidance from a wildlife rehabilitator.)

1. Prepare a container. Place a soft cloth on the bottom of a cardboard box or cat/dog carrier with a lid. If it doesn't have air holes, make some. For smaller animals, you can use a paper sack with air holes punched in.

2. Protect yourself. Wear gloves, if possible. Some animals may bite or scratch to protect themselves, even if sick; wild animals commonly have parasites (fleas, lice, ticks) and carry diseases.

3. Cover the animal with a light sheet or towel.

4. Gently pick up the animal and put it in the prepared container.

5. Warm the animal if it's cold out or if the animal is chilled. Put one end of the con­tainer on a heating pad set on low. Or fill a zip-top plastic bag, plastic soft drink con­tainer with a screw lid, or a rubber glove with hot water; wrap warm container with cloth, and put it next to the animal. Make sure the container doesn't leak, or the animal will get wet and chilled.

6. Tape the box shut or roll the top of the paper bag closed.

7. Note exactly where you found the animal. This will be very important for release.

8. Keep the animal in a warm, dark, quiet place.
Don't give it food or water.
Leave it alone; don't handle or bother it.
Keep children and pets away.

9. Contact a wildlife rehabilitator, state wildlife agency, or wildlife veterinarian as soon as possible.
Don't keep the animal at your home longer than necessary.
Keep the animal in a container; don't let it loose in your house or car.

10. Wash your "hands after contact with the animal. Wash anything the animal was in contact with: towel, jacket, blanket, pet carrier­ to prevent the spread of diseases and/or parasites to you or your pets.

11. Get the animal to a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible.

It's against the law in most states to keep wild animals if you don't have permits,
even if you plan to release them.
 

From Healers of the Wild: People Who Care
For Injured and Orphaned Wildlife
by Shannon K. Jacobs

Questions? Call
972.234.WILD (9453)

Additional Information on Baby Mammals:

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