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Many good hearted people try to take in an "injured or abandoned" wild animal and they do not realize the harm they are doing. For example, if you see a cute little "baby" bunny that isn't but four inches from its nose to it's tail, just sitting by a tree looking lost and abandoned, Please leave it alone. It is a juvenile cotton tail just learning to make it in the wild. Also, please remember if you have to "run" to catch an animal or young bird, again, please leave it alone. It does not need rescuing. Another example; You are raking the leaves in the spring and you find a nest of baby bunnies. The mother is nowhere around! She must have abandoned them! NOT! She is close by. You cannot see her, but she can see you. Mother cottontails do not nurse their young 24/7 in fact; she will nurse them generally 2 times a day, some time around dusk and dawn. If you have 'accidentally' disturbed the nest, DO NOT believe that the mother will never come back now because your sent is on the nest and babies! Mother cottontails want to be mothers! Give them the opportunity. All you need to do is put a drop of vanilla extract on your hands and place the bunnies back in the nest. Cover the nest with the nearby leaves/fur/grass that the mother had over them to start with. Then place two pieces of string or yarn in an X over the top of the nest. Wait 24 hours and check on them. If the string is disturbed at all, she has been there and taken care of her young. If she thought there was any danger she would not have touched them. If she has not been there, please email me for further instructions. DO NOT TRY TO FEED THEM MILK. This will do much more harm than good. This is where you will kill them with kindness. So, please use your kindness to get the right kind of help for them.
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