Baby Season is Here

[CarolsCritterCare]

Wildlife baby season is here, which means people may come face-to-face with newborn squirrels, deer, rabbits, birds, raccoons and skunks during spring cleaning.

This is the time of year I receive calls from frantic people who have stumbled across wildlife babies in their yards, attics, sheds, garages and yards.

Rehabbers are contacted through out the spring because they have found baby animals and assume that they need human help because the mother is nowhere in sight. Most people have very good intentions, BUT human intervention can result in orphaned wildlife.



WHEN BABY ANIMALS NEED HUMAN HELP

Baby squirrels ~ If they fall from a tree being cut down, immediately cease the tree-cutting and leave the babies out for the mother to find them. If it is cold, put the squirrels on a heating pad on low (using an extension cord) and place a flannel shirt underneath the squirrels so they do not overheat. If the mother does not retrieve them by nightfall, contact a wildlife rehabilitator. Assume that any adult squirrels in attics right now are mothers with young.

Fawns ~ It is normal for mother deer to leave their fawn alone for long periods of time to avoid attracting predators by the mother's scent (the young are odorless, therefore safer without mom around). You should only be concerned and call a wildlife rehabilitator if the fawn is wandering and bleating constantly, or if a clearly lactating yet dead mother is found nearby.

Baby Bunnies ~ Similar to deer, baby bunnies are often left alone so that the mother's scent does not attract predators. Only if the babies have been attacked by an animal or injured by a lawnmower (or anything else) should you call a rehabilitator. The mother bunny only comes and nurses once a night. But she is always near by keeping her eye on things.

Baby skunks ~ Sometimes baby skunks get separated from their mothers due to their poor eyesight. If you do find a nose-to-tail line of baby skunks running through your neighborhood, place a laundry basket over them, upside down, to hold them in place and give the mother a chance to find them. If she does not retrieve them by the next morning, then a rehabilitator should be called. Remember to move slowly around skunks. Even baby skunks can "spritz" "baby spray" if they perceive that something is attacking.
(Oh I just love baby skunks!!!)

Baby birds ~ It is a myth that if a baby bird is touched by humans, the parents will reject it. The reality is that birds have strong maternal instincts and the best thing to do if you find a fallen chick is to put it gently back into its nest. If the nest is inaccessible or destroyed, you can secure a nest-sized wicker basket close to the original nest. The parents should take over the new nest without a problem

Fledgling birds ~ You may think you see a bird with a broken wing, but many birds in June cannot fly yet because they are fledglings, i.e. birds that are in transition having left the nest but still needing to learn how to fly from the ground up. You can tell if their parents are still taking care of them by watching to see if adult birds fly over to feed them and by seeing if there are bird droppings on the ground. Birds poop after they are fed, so fecal material indicates that the parents are around and all is well.

Baby raccoons ~ Raccoon cubs are rarely left unsupervised. If you find baby raccoons alone for more than a few hours outside, it is a sign that something happened to their mom and you should contact a wildlife rehabilitator. If I find a dead coon in the road I will stop and check the area and listen. Do I hear any baby coons calling for mama? I will come back to the same area several different times over 48 hours to listen and make sure there are on orphans.
(Oh I just LOVE baby coons!!!)

Carol

[CarolsCritterCare]

For the first time in 3 months I only have one baby on the bottle. All 57 coons are now learning to be coons outside.
Now I have probably jinxed myself and I'll be getting a call of babies needing rescue.....and pull out the bottles again.
Carol

[AJE]

Originally Posted by CarolsCritterCare

For the first time in 3 months I only have one baby on the bottle. All 57 coons are now learning to be coons outside.
Now I have probably jinxed myself and I'll be getting a call of babies needing rescue.....and pull out the bottles again.
Carol

Carol you’re an amazing women and very much an animal lover. Rescues such as Carols Critters Sanctuary really put a star of gratitude to heart. This is so wonderful, folks don't realize just how huge of a job this is: Money and Time for feed/groom are just a few but also each animal needs TLC which is a huge block of time and they need to be taught how to be wild again from a surrogate mum. I give you 10 thumbs up for your leadership in this rescue someday I hope to follow your example.

[CarolsCritterCare]

I did end up jinxing myself. That afternoon I got a call and 2 coons on bottles came in. They were too old to be on the bottle and I quickly got them off of it. They are already outside in the play pen, eating out of a dish and playing in water.
Carol

[CarolsCritterCare]

Over the past 2 weeks I have been doing soft release of the coons every other day. Sadley most are now gone and on their great adventure.

Some do come back nightly for dinner and a dip in the pool.

I'm not totally done yet...I still have 4 on the bottle ~ that I"m desparatly trying to get off and one singleton patiently waiting the 4 to get off the bottle so she can join them.

Carol

[pk]

Carol you’re an amazing women and very much an animal lover. Rescues such as Carols Critters Sanctuary really put a star of gratitude to heart. This is so wonderful, folks don't realize just how huge of a job this is: Money and Time for feed/groom are just a few but also each animal needs TLC which is a huge block of time and they need to be taught how to be wild again from a surrogate mum. I give you 10 thumbs up for your leadership in this rescue someday I hope to follow your example.

Such a very nice and totally true comment. I very much agree with everything in this comment. God certainly knew what he was doing when he put Carol on this earth. I am in awe of anyone that can do everything with animals such as you do Carol. It certainly does take someone special.

pk

[CarolsCritterCare]

Originally Posted by AJE

Carol you’re an amazing women and very much an animal lover. Rescues such as Carols Critters Sanctuary really put a star of gratitude to heart. This is so wonderful, folks don't realize just how huge of a job this is: Money and Time for feed/groom are just a few but also each animal needs TLC which is a huge block of time and they need to be taught how to be wild again from a surrogate mum. I give you 10 thumbs up for your leadership in this rescue someday I hope to follow your example.

Thanks AJE! It's hard work, but I'd be lost with out it. I love my critters.
This year you can just call me Coon Mom! I rehabbed 65 baby coons. Most are gone. 9 still hanging around and sleeping in the nesting box's during the day. Some still come back at night for dinner. Someone is coming back and using the litter box I put over by a tree, sort of just storing it..... and then I have 4 on bottle yet and Marshmellow, she's almost ready to go outside to the play pen.
Carol

[CarolsCritterCare]

Originally Posted by pk

Such a very nice and totally true comment. I very much agree with everything in this comment. God certainly knew what he was doing when he put Carol on this earth. I am in awe of anyone that can do everything with animals such as you do Carol. It certainly does take someone special.

pk

Thanks PK!! I used to have a signature line that read
"First God created animals. Then God created me to care for them"

Carol