Baby Cottontail Nests
Did you find a nest of baby cottontail bunnies with no mama in sight?
CLICK HERE for a print-friendly version!
It's baby season for wildlife! Here are a few important tips to know as these little ones make their debut:
- Mother rabbits visit their babies only twice a day – typically around dawn and dusk – to avoid attracting unwanted attention from predators in the area. Most seemingly “abandoned” babies are actually being watched closely by mom from a distance.
- If you find a rabbit’s nest in your yard and the babies are not injured, there’s a good chance they can stay there. No one can do a better job than mom, and there is no human-made formula that is nearly as good as what she provides. The only time a wildlife rehabilitator needs to get involved is if those babies are injured or truly orphaned (check out the link below for how to find out).
- While you should do everything you can to avoid touching a bunny at all, much less with bare hands, a mother will *not* reject her babies because they have been touched by humans. If someone has already picked up a baby bunny and the baby appears healthy, please ask them to return the little one to the nest.
CLICK HERE to learn more about what to do if you find a rabbit’s nest, including how to keep your curious pups at bay.
Thanks for caring about wildlife and for helping to #KeepWildlifeWild!
The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is always looking for safe places to release hand-raised orphaned Cottontails, Raccoons, Opossums, Gray Squirrels and Mallards. Can you help?
