WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND PROTECTIONLESSON 26

WILDLIFE REHABILITATIONIf you care leave them there

By Suzanne Johnson

As a wildlife rehabilitator I have the opportunity to build an appreciation and empathy for the wild world around us. It’s an opportunity that few people have and I am grateful. It’s something that I have been able to share with my students and with my own children. In this power point I am using real photos from animals I have raised to teach children the need to do as little harm as possible while helping wildlife.

So, it's not unusual to see a young robin crouched on the lawn or a young rabbit in the flower garden, both apparently motherless. Or, to find a fawn lying by itself. Often, we step in to help. This is when problems arise; when we assume that young wildlife we find alone are abandoned, helpless and need saving

In nearly all cases, this is a mistake.

Most are learning survival from one or both parents, some

normally receive little or no parental

care. Often, wild animal parents stay

away from their young when people

are near.

Baby Birds

Q. A baby bird was on my lawn. There are no feathers at all and it’s pretty tiny. I see a nest in the bushes but I can’t put it back because my little brother touched it.

A. A bird that size is very difficult to care for. They need to eat almost every 15 minutes from dawn to dusk.

You can even put the baby in a different nest of babies.Birds can’t count and will feed whatever opens its mouth.

The good news is that song birds have a very poor sense

of smell. They really don’t know that their baby has

been touched and as long as you are not disruptive or you don’t stay too long, you can

put that baby right back in the nest.

Q. There is a young blue jay in my backyard and it seems to be having difficulty flying even though it has feathers. I can’t see anything broken, but I am afraid that either my dog or cat will get it.

Should I bring it inside and feed it until it is able to fly?

A. No. As a fledgling, it had enough feathers to leave the nest. This means it is old enough to learn to fly, which it will begin to do very quickly, within days. Leave the bird alone, but you should keep your dog or cat in the house so it won't disturb the bird.

~ The mother and father will continue to feed it and lead it to a safer place

Q. The cat just caught and killed

a mother bird. The baby birds

are now obviously

orphaned. Shouldn't I take

them to a wildlife rehabilitator?

A. Most songbird young are cared for by both parents. If one of the parent birds is killed, the surviving adult can successfully raise the chicks.

DON’T STEAL BABY BIRDS IF YOU CARE, LEAVE THEM THERE! U N L E S S …..

DAMAGED FOOT

DAMAGED WING

CAT/DOG ATTACK DAMAGE NO FEATHERS NO NEST

FLEW INTO WALL (You can keep it warm and dark for a few hours and see if it comes around)

Baby Deer

I brought the fawn into my house to save it, but I don't know how to care for it. What should I do?

Q. This morning I found an "abandoned" fawn near the edge of a field on my property.

A. In most cases, the fawn probably isn't abandoned. Immediately take the fawn back to where you found it and leave it there. LEAVE

The mother should come back again looking for the fawn. Even one to two days after removal from the wild, fawns have

been successfully reunited with their mothers by returning them to the place where they were found.

We try not to steal baby deer.When you picked up the fawn,

, the mother was probably not far away.

Usually, young fawns are quite safe when left alone for the day by their mother.

Q. I found a baby deer on my lawn. It is crying and alone..

IT’S SAFE TO LIVE IN TOWN!!!No one shoots guns near housesNo killer highways to crossThey know people can only go 30mph in the cityNo coyote packs eating fawnsDogs are supposed to be tied up.People plant delicious things to eat

DON’T STEAL BABY DEER IF YOU CARE, LEAVE THEM THERE! U N L E S S …..

If you find the dead mother, then the baby needs help.There may be another baby nearbyIf the fawn is cripple with difficulty walkingHit by a car or attacked by an animalHas been crying and alone for more than ten hours

If a fawn is on a road, shoe it to the side and into the forest not

far from where it was, the mother will come to look for it.

Baby Bunnies

Q. My cat brought a baby bunny up to the doorstep. Can I keep it?

A. Cats are very toxic and bunnies are very delicate

Cat scratches and bites need treatment with an antibiotic

Rabbits are very difficult to raise and feed.

You can return it to the wild if it is able to hop on its own and is eating grass and the ears are standing straight up.

Also, only if it has no physical scratches or bites.

Q. A moment ago, I accidentally kicked open a nest of baby rabbits while walking in the thick grass at the far corner of my backyard. They seemed so helpless. I waited, but saw no sign of their mother.

Should I rescue them?

A. They do not need to be rescued. The mother will not return as long as you remain at the nest. Just replace the top of the nest that you uncovered and leave.

The mother will return and care for the young. Cottontail rabbits leave their young for many hours while eating, but return for a brief time to nurse the young. As with other young wildlife, it is best to LEAVE THEM ALONE!

Most bay animals have no real scent. The mothers do and that can attract predators. The mothers stay away and eat until they are ready to nurse the babies again.

If you find a bunny nest and want to make sure they have not been abandoned, you can make an “X” across the top of the covered nest with two pieces of thread. If you come back much, much later and the thread has not been disturbed, you know the mother has not bee back.

DON’T STEAL BABY BUNNIES IF YOU CARE, LEAVE THEM THERE! U N L E S S …..

The baby is coldThe mother is found deadThe nest has been unattended for more than a dayThe baby has been attacked and injured by another animal

You find a baby that has been taken from the nest and is too immature to be left on its own.

Other Babies

Squirrels Chipmunk Opossum

Woodchucks Weasels

DON’T STEAL BABY ANIMALS IF YOU CARE, LEAVE THEM THERE!

DO NOT EVER, EVER , EVERTAKE ON OR DEAL WITH AN ADULT ANIMALTHEY CAN CARRY DISEASE AND BE VERY DANGEROUS

If something happens to a mother animal, the babies will come out of the nests or dens to find food. This is when they may come up to people for help. If a squirrel follows you around, it is abandoned.

WHAT IF THE ANIMAL DOES NEED CARE???

Get it to a rehabilitatorAnimals belong to the state they live in.Migratory birds belong to the Federal GovernmentIt is illegal to keep a wild animal without proper licensing

Keep it quiet, Keep it dark,

Offer water but DO NOT FORCE WATER (No water down bird’s throats)