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Frequently
Asked Questions
The Center
receives many frequently asked questions (FAQ’s)
about animals that people have found injured
or abandoned, or that they believe are abandoned.
Many of our questions are about what to do
with the animal to help it properly and save
it’s life. Many times the answers to
these questions are similar, but as species
and their needs vary, so do the answers. Please
check our FAQ’s for assistance with the
wildlife you have found.
Cottontail
Rabbits, Squirrels, Deer, Raccoon
Cottontail
Rabbits
We found a nest of baby bunnies. There is no
mother rabbit anywhere in sight. Did she
abandon her babies?
No! The mother rabbit visits her nest at dawn
and dusk to feed her babies. She avoids the
nest at other times so predators are not attracted
to the nesting site.
 Our dog dug up a nest of bunnies, what do
we do?
If the nesting material was scattered, gather
it up and place it back in the nest along with
the uninjured bunnies.
Will the mother rabbit reject the babies
because we touched them?
No. The human scent
(or that of your dog or cat) will not cause
the mom to reject her babies. That is an
old wives’ tale.
If you find an injured rabbit/bunny, carefully
place it in a box (using gloves) and put
it in a quiet, safe place and call the center.
Stress can kill a bunny/rabbit quickly.
Grey Squirrels
 We’ve
just cut down a tree in our yard to find
that there is a nest of baby squirrels in
it and the mom is nowhere to be found. What
do we do?
Put the babies in
a box (using gloves) and leave the box at
the base of the tree where the nest was found.
Leave them there until just before dark.
It may take the mom squirrel 24 hours to
construct a new nest for her babies. If mom
doesn’t return for them by day’s
end, bring the box of babies into a warm, quiet
place. Do not handle or try to feed the babies.
Keep any pets and children AWAY from the babies.
Put the box out the next day (weather permitting)
at the base of the tree. If mom doesn’t
return by late afternoon, call the center.
There are squirrels in my attic, how do I
get them out?
The best way to cause an animal to leave is
to make it an uncomfortable place to nest.
Play a radio loudly in your attic. Put lights
on and leave them on. Usually the presence
of noise and light causes the animal to seek
a more peaceful location to nest.
Deer
 I have found a fawn lying all alone; its mom
must have abandoned it. Should we take it home
with us?
This is the most frequently asked
question about deer. Remember that the doe
leaves its fawn so she can go off to feed.
She retraces her steps to her resting baby
by following her own scent trail. It is important
to leave the fawn where it is so mom can
find it when she is ready to return. There
are some observations you should make when
looking at the fawn. Is it lying quietly
and “curled up”?
Are its eyes open and clear? Is the fur clean
and free of flies or other insects? If you
answered yes to all of these questions, then
leave it alone. Note where it is and check
the next day to see if it is still there. Chances
are it will be gone. A quiet and resting fawn
with clear eyes and free of insects are characteristics
that describe a healthy animal.
There is a fawn in our yard crying out, following
us and has flies around its tail. What should
we do?
Sometimes a fawn is
left behind because mom was killed. Call
the center for instructions. A crying fawn
usually indicates a hungry fawn. Flies on
the fur usually lead to a maggot infestation
which causes health problems for the fawn.
Raccoon
 I have found a baby raccoon on the ground
by a tree. It looks like there is a nest high
up in the tree. What should I do?
Place a box as high
up in the tree (that contains the nest) as
you can safely reach securing it so it doesn’t fall. With gloves on,
place the baby in the box. If the baby is cold,
place a plastic bottle (wrapped in a cloth)
filled with warm water next to the baby for
warmth. Leave the area, but keep an eye out
for mom to return. If she doesn’t come
back for the baby by 11 p.m. bring the baby
in and keep it in a warm, quiet place away
from pets and children. Call the center the
following morning for further instructions.
If a baby is found all alone on the roadside
with no evidence of a den in site, secure the
baby in a box and call the center. Sometimes
when mom is relocating babies, she will leave
a baby behind. Oftentimes she will not retrace
her steps to come back for the little one.
There is a nest of raccoons in my attic. How
can I get them to leave?
The best thing is
to make the area as uncomfortable a den as
possible. Putting a bright light in the area,
playing a radio, and putting ammonia soaked
rags near the site are all ways to make it
an uncomfortable place to raise babies. Give
mom time to relocate her kits. Then find
where she entered and seal the openings only
after you are SURE she and the babies have
gone.
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