Baby wildlife best left alone

#MiddleburyCT #BabyWildlife

A baby bunny uncovered during lawn mowing huddles in the grass. Fortunately it was unharmed, and its mother returned to nurse it. Several hours later, the mother moved it to a more protected location. (Janine Sullivan-Wiley photo)

By JANINE SULLIVAN-WILEY

Many animal mothers leave their young in what they see as a protected spot while they go off to forage. If you find and remove their baby, they will return and find it gone. Not the outcome Mother Nature had intended.

But how can you tell if a baby really has been orphaned or abandoned? That may be clear if you see the parent killed (such as on the roadway) and the baby is nearby. You also can also deduce something bad has happened to the mother if the baby is in the exact same location for several days without the mother returning.

You might find such an animal baby in your yard, or while hiking in a Middlebury Land Trust preserve. Baby bunnies and fawns are the ones that are most frequently found this time of year. Both are left by their mothers as a normal practice while the mothers forage, sometimes for hours.

I once watched as a mother deer led her fawn into an area of brush, where the fawn suddenly dropped and almost magically disappeared. The mother didn’t return until late that day, retrieved her baby (which hadn’t budged) and went off with it.

I almost stepped on a newborn fawn that had been left in long grass by a garage. That was not the best spot to leave it in my opinion, but with humans around, it was actually quite safe from predators. That fawn stayed motionless except for the tiniest twitch of its ear when I went by. The mother deer collected her baby that evening and found a different spot the next day.

Newborn fawns blend very well into their surroundings and are virtually scent-free. Hunters have described their hunting dogs walking right by a fawn, mere feet from their noses. A predator pretty much has to step on one to find it. Baby rabbits are much the same. They are left behind when very newborn; that is not going to harm them. In fact, the biggest risk is if a human decides to “save” them.

Baby birds also often do not need rescue. If you find one on the ground, hopping about but not yet able to fly, it may have left the nest a bit early. The parents usually tend to them on the ground with food and encouragement as they get their flying skill better developed. Nothing for you to do there either.

A slightly different story is if that baby bird has closed eyes and is virtually featherless. Then it can be advantageous to find the nest (overhead somewhere) and replace the baby bird. Contrary to popular myth, the scent of your hands on the baby bird will not make the parents reject it.

Baby reptiles or reptile eggs (turtles or snakes) should simply be left alone and undisturbed. This time of year, care should be taken when driving on our roads as turtles may be crossing to their nesting places and hitting one (adult or baby) causes terrible damage.

If the damage is minimal or a near-miss, move the turtle to the side of the road in the direction it was traveling. U.S. Fish & Wildlife advises that using a car mat can be a good way to help the turtles across without actually picking them up. By using a car mat or putting something under the turtle, you can slide the turtle in the direction it was going. Do not pick them up by the tail! This could seriously injure the turtle. Sliding them across the pavement without something under them also can harm them.

You can safely help a snapping turtle in the road by using a car mat or by carefully holding them at the back of the shell and not the sides. Snapping turtles have very long necks and can bite your hands if you place them at the sides of the shell.

Some situations may call for a professional wildlife rehabilitator. This includes baby bears, or baby squirrels with eyes closed outside of their nest. Keep in mind an injured animal may scratch or bite, and never approach an animal that appears disoriented or sick. Because of disease risk, never approach a fox, raccoon or bat – even a baby. That’s a job to leave to a professional.

Resources: Some of the best nearby wildlife rehabilitators are at the Sharon Audubon Center, sharon.audubon.org/wildlife-rehabilitation-clinic. Find more resources at wildlifeofct.com/assistance.html. Note that wildlife rehabilitators are generally volunteers; be patient and give them time to get back to you.
If you have feedback or an idea for a future article, contact this writer at jswspotlight@gmail.com. You can visit the Middlebury Land Trust on Facebook or the website at middleburylandtrust.org. Happy Hiking!