Am I a real orphan?

Mothers build their nests almost anywhere on the ground. They are known to build their nests right in the middle of a lawn. However, typically their nests are built in tall grasses and brush piles. A bunny’s nest is extremely shallow, only a few inches dug into the ground. These nests are just deep enough so that a mother can cover her young with the grass she pulled out to make the hole. She also lines the nest with some of the fur from her stomach area. This fur keeps her babies warm and gives them a sense of security that mom is still with them.

Mother rabbits do not stay at the nest like other mammals and/or birds do. They visit their nest just twice a day, usually around dusk and dawn. It is very rare for them to visit any more than that. They do not stay with their young for a long time when they do visit. The average time is about 5-10 minutes.

Just because the mother rabbit doesn’t stay on top of her nest with her young doesn’t mean she is a bad mother. While the mother may not be with her young around the clock, she is not far from her nest. She is hiding someplace where you cannot see her. She doesn’t stay in her nest because she doesn’t want to attract predators

If you find a bunny nest there are a few things you can do without touching the bunnies

If there is no immediate danger (visible injuries or loose dogs in the area) — do the String Test: re-cover the nest with the leaves, and grass litter that is around the nest and put a string in the shape of an X across it. By doing this String Test, you will be able to see if the mother returns. When the mother returns, she will push all the debris away from her babies to feed and take care of them. Before leaving, she will pull all the debris back over the babies. If you later find the X disturbed, this is your sign that she has returned and is taking care of her young. If the nest is the same way you left with the X in the same spot, chances are the mother will not return. Remember that the mother only returns twice a day. So it is best to check the string a few hours after one of the feeding periods.

If the nest is in danger of the family pet: If possible, keep the family pet inside. This will allow the mother to take care of her own young. The bunnies grow up quickly. Keep the dog on the leash or the opposite side of the yard. Try to keep the cat inside for the next few weeks. If this just will not work for you, then there are other suggestions. For example, you can cover the nest with almost any container with a hole that is big enough for the mother to get in, but that keeps the dog out, such as a wicker basket. Some people have even used wheelbarrows. In the case of cats, the only suggestion we have is to keep the cat inside. Remember, it’s not forever, just for a short period of time to have a mother finish her job with her young.

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Common Myth -

“I touched the bunny with my bare hands, and now it has human smell on it. I’m afraid that the mother won’t take care of it.”

Okay, so you touched a baby bunny (or any animal). Just touching a bunny will not cause the mother to abandon her young. Most mothers want their babies back regardless of human interference.

If you feel that there is too much of a human smell on the animal, there is one very simple method we can use to erase the human smell. Rub your hand in the dirt, than rub the bunny with your hand. You have just erased your smell and put the smell of earth back on the bunny. Now put the bunny back into its nest for the mother to do her job.

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Before you pick up that bunny thinking that it has been orphaned or abandoned by its mother, let’s go through our checklist first.

● Is the bunny bigger than a tennis ball?

If Yes: Then the animal is just big enough to take care of itself. Keep it Wild.

●Does the animal look injured?

If Yes: Contact a rehabilitator

If No: It is likely not orphaned

●Does the animal look dehydrated or extremely thin?

If Yes: Then the animal comes into rehab.

If No: The mother has everything under control!

●Does the nest fail the String Test?

If Yes: If after a feeding period (dawn & dusk) the animal goes into rehab.

If No: keep it wild.

●If your pet found the nest and the owner refuses to keep the pet away from the nest:

If Yes: Then the animal comes into rehab, cats and dogs are often the because of death for rabbits found in yards

If No: Keep the animals away and the bunnies should be fine!

●You found a bunny smaller than a tennis ball in the middle of the yard and you do not know where the nest is?

If Yes: Then the animal comes into rehab.

Generally speaking:

If yes to any of the above questions, please try to put the bunnies into a secure container with a lid! Make sure the container has air holes. Shoe boxes work great for these sizes. In the bottom of the container you can put some fresh grasses (or part of the nest) so the bunnies feel more secure. Keep the container in a warm dark quiet place until you can get it to the rehabber. Please never attempt to feed the animal. And keep all pets and children away from the box.

Still have questions?

Contact a rehabilitator or look at some of these we bsites below-

Orphan Care - House Rabbit Society

Orphan Rabbits are Rare - Veterinary Partner

Babby Rabbits - Tufts

Am I a real orphan?

Most mother squirrels build their nest high in a tree to provide protection from predators. Their nests are made of dry leaves and twigs and lined with fur or other soft material they find. Most squirrels have two homes: A summer home and a winter home. And yes, some of them will make a great nest in your attic, shed, garage, and even that old abandoned vehicle still in your backyard.

Reasons to contact a rehabbed immediately:

● Is the baby injured (do you see blood)?

● Is the baby covered with fly eggs?

● Is the baby dehydrated and/or extremely thin?

● Is the baby cold to the touch?

● The family pet brings it home

Any of the above mean that the baby is likely in need of immediate life-saving care!

Reasons why we find baby squirrels on the ground:

Tree work

Bad weather

One of the siblings kicked the other out of the nest

Just playing with their siblings and one or more fell out of the nest

Predator lost its meal

Mom has died and the babies are trying to look for food on their own.

Mom knows that the baby is sick and cannot take care of it.

Walks right up to you without being scared

If the baby seems healthy -

Mom will take back a warm and healthy baby. If the baby looks healthy but cold, its first need is to be warmed up. One simple way to warm a baby is to give it an old t-shirt to snuggle in. You can use a hand warmer, or even a plastic bottle filled with warm water, to help the baby get warm. Put it next to the baby so the baby can cuddle up to it and have the option to move away from it if he/she gets too warm. Babies burn easily, so not too hot. Do not feed the squirrel. You want the baby to cry so its mother can find it and retrieve it.

If you cannot put the baby back in its original nest, then you can make a temporary nest. Very simple to do. Use a small container that is high enough so the baby cannot get out, but not so high that the mother cannot retrieve the baby. Give the baby some of the natural substrates that are on the ground (leaves, grasses). You can also use paper towels or even an old t-shirt so the baby has something to snuggle in to keep it feel secure and warm. Just rub the t-shirt in the dirt before putting it in the container so it smells more natural than human. Some human scent is okay; a mother wants her child back if it’s healthy. Put this container as close as possible to where you believe the nest is (or was). If the nest is in a tree, put the container in the tree as high as you can go if possible,. Keep in mind that this temporary nest must be safe from dogs and cats.

The mother will only retrieve her young if she feels safe doing so. Keep people and pets away. The mother will usually retrieve her young within 2-6 hours in good weather or until dark, whichever comes first. If the baby is found late at night or in bad weather, it can be taken inside for the night only and then put outside the next morning. Mother squirrels will not look for their babies after dusk. Please find a safe location for the babies after nightfall. If you leave the babies out during the night, it won’t be the mother of the squirrels that find them. If the young is not retrieved after such an attempt, then it’s time to find a rehabilatator. Keep in mind that if you just found one or two, there might be more. So, if you can, please check the site again the following day to see if any of its other siblings have fallen. Mothers give birth to one to seven babies per liter (average five).

Okay, now let’s say that the squirrel found you!! Yep, we get these calls all the time. They usually fall in the age group of 6 to 9 weeks old. You are looking at this squirrel and thinking it’s big enough to take care of itself; why is it crawling up my leg. Well, it’s not big enough to take care of itself and sees you as its new mother, Congratulations! (Just kidding.) Squirrels that show this type of behavior are usually orphans. They have been orphan for a few days and feel insecure and cannot feed themselves. Or should we say, they really don’t know what they should eat. They would still be nursing off their mother, but the mother would be showing her young what and where their natural food sources are. So chances are you would be able to pick this squirrel up (wear gloves) and put it in any container with a secure lid. Call a rehabilitator.

Animals talk to us if we choose to listen: If there is a squirrel chattering at you, chances are you are getting too close to her nest. This is her way of telling you to back off. So, if you are getting ready to cut down that half dead tree in your yard and a squirrel is just running back and forth acting crazy and chattering at you, chances are she is trying to tell you, “No please don’t cut down my house, my babies are inside!” If time permits, cut down the tree later in the year. The baby season for squirrels runs from mid-February through May and again in late July through October.

Orphan Raccoon?

Baby raccoons are called kits.

Let’s say you are cleaning out your attic, or cutting down that old tree in the backyard. How about finally getting to that abandoned car from out of the backyard. In the middle of all the clean-up out pop 5 baby raccoons. Now what do you do? The first thing to do is look quickly to see where the mother is. She might be right there! Back away slowly and stay away from the area until she retrieves all her babies. This can take some time. She might just put them somewhere nearby temporarily while she goes off looking for a new home. Her temporary spot just might not be what you had in mind. Please be patient. She might even stay with them until dusk before she even tries to relocate. You do not want to scare her off, she might not come back. Let Mom do her job.

Let’s first determine if they are real orphans.

I’m an orphan if…

● I’m next to my dead mother.

● I’m dehydrated and starving (I will be screaming).

● I’m injured. (Do you see blood?)

● There are a lot of fly eggs on me.

● I’m walking right up to you.

● The family pet brings me home.

Reasons why we find raccoon kits on the ground:

Tree work.

Bad weather.

While playing with their siblings, one or more fell out of the nest.

They have reached their exploring stage. They usually don’t go far from the nest, but some do.

Mom has died and the babies are trying to look for food on their own.

Mom knows that the baby is sick and cannot take care of it.

Some suggestions that you could do:

Please put the kits in a small cardboard box, deep enough so that the kits cannot climb out. Pad the box with the surrounding leaf litter from the ground or any type of soft bedding, such as an old sweatshirt or several t-shirts, so they have something to snuggle in it and it will also help keep them warm. A mother will not take back a cold baby.

Place the box with the kits near where or as close as possible to their original nest was, or at least in the path of Mom’s normal route.

Loosely cover the flaps on the outside of the box to help protect the kits. A mother raccoon will have no problem opening the box to get her kits.Note: A mother raccoon can take the whole night to find or relocate her family. Please be patient. If all the kits are still in the box the following day, please call a rehabilitator. There are many scenarios that are dependent upon how the kits were first found. It’s easier for us to speak with the finder directly to see if they are real orphans.If, the following morning, some of the kits were taken, she might be back for the rest. If the kits are still in the box the second day, chances are she will not be taking the whole family. Please call. Again, there might be special circumstances to explain why she didn’t come back and we might be able to help further to reunite the family.

Make sure to keep children and pets away from the area where you have placed the kits. Also, it would be helpful to keep your yard lights off near the box as light only deters the mother.

One thing to note is that babies who have been missing their Mom for only a few hours rather than days will be more wary and not likely to approach people, since they will not yet be desperate. If the kit is trying to follow you, then chances are it has been without its Mom for a while and should come into rehab.

Like any good Mom, raccoons want to raise their kits. Human scent is not a deterrent to keep the Mom away. But humans can be a deterrent if Mom feels that they are too close retrieve her babies. Raccoons are one of Connecticut’s mammals that are on top of the food chain (especially in cities) and they are not too afraid of humans. They just want a safe warm place to raise their kits. But if you leave food outside for your pet and/or do not secure your garbage cans, raccoons find an easy meal and will take full advantage of it. Wouldn’t you? Free food! You might want to think about putting chimney caps on your chimney. Raccoons, squirrels and birds find this to be a safe, warm place to raise a family. Please see “Living with Wildlife” for more ideas on what we can do to keep them wild and outside our homes.

A “buck” is called a male deer. A “doe” is called a female deer. Babies are called “fawns.”

I’m an orphan if…

● I’m next to my dead mother.

● I appear cold and hungry.

● I appear injured.

● I’m lying on my side, or wandering and crying excessively.

● I come right up to you.

It is normal to see fawns of any age left alone. The mother has tried carefully to hide her fawn while she goes to forage. The fawn has a natural camouflage coat to help it blend in with the high grasses that the mother has left it in. They lay flat and motionless, so they do not attract the attention of predators while waiting for their mother to return. The doe will return and nurse her fawn a few times a day to avoid attracting predators. A fawn found alone and quiet is okay.

Mother deer are wary of human smells; if you have already handled the fawn, take a towel, rub it in the grass, and then wipe down the fawn to remove all human scent. Then return the fawn to the place where you found him.

If the fawn is still alone, or you know that the mother is dead, immediately call a wildlife rehabilitator. Meanwhile, keep yourself and all pets away from the fawn. Try not to move the fawn. You do not want to scare it off.

If the fawn is in a dangerous situation, like near a highway or populated area, you may want to try to move it a short distance away to a safer area. Not too far away, you want the mother to be able to find it. Do not chase a fawn to catch it. This could cause it to become even more frightened. Get down on the fawn’s level and slowly move towards it. The fawn will more than likely move backward, so keep this in mind as you move towards it. You don’t want the fawn to move backwards into traffic. You are just going to move the fawn far enough away from any immediate danger such as traffic. Then call a wildlife rehabilitator or your animal control officer to remove the fawn.

Orphan Opossum?

Opossums are North America’s only marsupial. Marsupials are pouch animals, just like kangaroos. The minute the babies are born, they crawl up into the mother’s pouch and stay there until they are able to go off on their own. Opossums give birth to an average of 9-13 babies, and the babies stay with their mother for an average of two to three months. Mother opossums carry their young in their pouch everywhere. They do not put their babies in a den like a raccoon or a squirrel.

Let’s first determine if they are real orphans.

I’m an orphan if…

● I’m next to my dead mother.

● If I’m wandering around by myself and smaller than 8” (don’t include my tail)

● I basically can fit in the palm of your hand.

● I’m injured (Do you see blood?).

● There are a lot of fly eggs on me.

● The family pet brings me home.

It is very rare to see a baby opossum walking around on its own unless it has been separated from its mother.

Reasons for separation are…

Mother was chased and the baby fell out of the pouch.

Mother knows that she cannot take care of it and left the baby behind.

Mother was killed and the babies are wandering on their own.

Most opossum orphans are caused by motor vehicles. Mother opossum is walking across the street and then WHACK. Some people ask, “Why they are so slow?” “Why didn’t she run?” Can you run with 13 babies attached to you? Also, the headlights from the vehicles cause the opossums to freeze, just like a deer. And, if the car is approaching them too fast, they might think it’s a predator and play dead, not realizing that it is soon to be a reality.

Playing dead is an involuntary response. When threatened or harmed, the opossum goes into an involuntary state—playing dead. They are mimicking the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal. Their lips are drawn back, teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands. Their bodies become stiff. You can actually pick them up at this stage and assume that they are really dead. They will not move. The only way to tell if they are still alive is to pay close attention to their breathing. Their stomach will go up and down ever so slightly. Humans will be able to tell, but other animals will not. When the opossum feels that the danger is over, they just get up and walk away.

If you do see an opossum on the side of the road, especially during the months of April through June, you might want to consider checking to see if the opossum has babies in the pouch. Baby opossums range from a size of a bumblebee up to fitting in the palm of your hand. If you feel comfortable doing so, it’s best to remove the babies right away. This can easily be done by holding the base of their tail (close to their back) and pull ever so gently. They will release themselves from their Mom. When taking the babies from the mother, have a box ready with plenty of soft fabric. These babies get cold very fast and they need to stay warm to survive. Then call a rehabber.

Orphan Skunk?

Mother skunks will take out their babies for food at a very young age. Baby skunks start to explore with their mother about 5-6 weeks old. They follow their mother very closing, usually in a straight line nose to tail. If the babies loose the scent of their mother, they will cry to get the mother’s attention. Skunks do not climb, so putting the babies into a container will not work. It might be better to place a laundry basket over them. If possible rig the basket in a way that you can lift it up without approaching the basket. Mother skunk will have a hard time lifting the basket up to retrieve her young. You can even walk up to the basket and lift it off yourself. You must walk slowly and speak softly as you slowly approach. If the mother starts stomping her feet, STOP! She doesn’t feel safe. Just keep speaking softly. Talk to her for a few minutes. While she is watching you, start with one step at a time walking toward the basket again. Chances are good that she will realize that you are not a predator and let you raise the basket. When you remove the basket, walk backwards slowly and continue to speak softly. If she runs, walk slowly to the basket and retrieve the basket. Leave the area slowly. Mother skunk hasn’t gone too far, and will be back within a few minutes to retrieve her young.

Let’s first determine if they are real orphans.

I’m an orphan if…

● I’m next to my dead mother.

● If I’m wandering around by myself and the size of a small kitten.

● I’m injured (Do you see blood?).

● There are a lot of fly eggs on me.

● The family pet brings me home.

● I’m walking right up to you.

● I’m dehydrated and starving (I will be crying).

It is very rare to see a baby skunk walking around on its own unless it has been separated from its mother.

Reasons for separation are…

Mother was chased and got separated from her young.

The mother knows that she cannot take care of it and left the baby behind.

Mother was killed and the babies are wandering on their own.

Skunks have very poor eyesight. So when you encounter a skunk in your presence, it’s best not to make any fast movements. Do not run, do not yell. Just slowly walk away in a non-threatening manner. Keep this in mind when you meet up with a skunk, if you are slowly walking up to it, not making a sound, it will think you are a predator, and the chances of you getting sprayed are good. Skunks do not like to spray unless they are threatened and they give you fair warning before spraying. Know the signs: they will stomp their feet at you, turn their body in a U-shape with the anus pointing at you and see what your reaction will be. Basically, this is your last chance to get away, so start backing away.

If you do get sprayed, tomato juice doesn’t work, it just masks the odor. What does help is…

Skunk Deodorant Recipe:

● 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide

● ¼ cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

● 1 teaspoon of dawn liquid soap

Mix well and wash affected areas.

Keep away from eyes, nose and mouth.

Orphan Turtle?

Turtles don’t care for their young, so if you find a baby turtle, you can be sure that it is not an orphan.

If you see a turtle is crossing the road, you can assist the turtle by bringing it to the side of the road it had intended to go. Do not bring the turtle back to where it started to cross the road, because it will just try again.

If you do bring a wild turtle home and then realize that it wasn’t a real orphan, do not just release it anywhere. You must bring it back to the original site where you first picked up the turtle.

If you find a nest of eggs, the best thing to do is not disturb the nest. Just leave it alone. Turtles will instinctively know where to go when they hatch. The only time a turtle should come into rehab is when the turtle is injured.

Do you see a broken shell?

Do you see any blood on the turtle?

Does the turtle look unhealthy?