Spring is baby time at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, and the most common patient is a baby rabbit— maybe attacked by a cat or discovered in a nest disturbed by a lawn mower. People often wonder what they can do, and spokesman Connor Gillespie offers this advice.
“Cottontails are a very high-stress species, so anytime that they’re captured and brought into care, that’s a lot of stress for them, and that can be very harmful, so we want to make sure we’re only doing that if they truly need our help.”
Call the center, and you’ll be asked if the animal is injured. If not, experts often advise putting babies back in their nest and doing a tic tac toe test.
“You take some sticks. You put them in a tic tac toe pattern over the nest, after you put the bunny back, and then check the next morning. If those sticks have been moved aside, that means the mother has come to that nest site to care for them.”
Some people think they’re helping by moving a nest to a more secluded spot, but Gillespie says that’s a mistake.
“What you never want to do is try to move that nest to another area that you might feel is safer, because even if it’s only moved four or five feet, that mother might not find that nest and return.”
Because there are so many baby bunnies in residence, he adds, there’s a great need for wild greens.
“Dandelions are a great meal for them, so if anyone wants to help support their care at the wildlife center, bringing some fresh dandelions to us would go a long way toward helping to feed them. We would just want to make sure that they haven’t been sprayed with any kind of pesticide and that they’re washed thoroughly.”
If the babies are as big as a softball and their eyes are open, chances are they’ll survive on their own, but if not then it’s best to call your local wildlife rehabber or the center in Waynesboro.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
