Friday, April 8, 2011

Baby rabbits are best left alone, not 'rescued'

While pruning and caring for rose bushes, this nest of cute cottontail rabbits was uncovered Friday.  It's probably the third straight year all the mulch around the roses provided an incubator for a family of rabbits.  Rehabilitators have always told me that a general rule of thumb was if baby squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, etc., have fur, it's best to just leave them alone.

According to Rainbow Wildlife Rescue , a Texas wildlife education center, about 90 percent of babies 'rescued' by well-meaning people end up dying. Chances of survival are much better in the wild.

From Messinger Woods of Holland, N.Y., -- If a nest of baby rabbits is accidentally uncovered by a lawnmower, rake, shovel, or weedwhacker, carefully check to make sure the bunnies are not hurt, cut, or bleeding. If they are NOT hurt, put them back in the nest and cover them up. 

1 comment:

  1. So, what if they are hurt? Call a vet? Wildlife service...?

    Anyway, I used to plant lettuce just for the bunnies...it always made me smile when they nibbled!

    I just wanna cuddle them, they're so cute. Thanks Bil.

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