-
Raccoon mothers tend to stay close to their young. If you’ve found a baby raccoon that has been alone for several hours, it’s probably abandoned.
Please avoid handling it without gloves, put it in a carrier or box that it cannot climb out of and remember to keep it isolated from loud noises, pets and other sources of stress. If there are no signs of injury, you may give it some water until we can get to it and figure out an age-appropriate diet.
Please be aware that raccoons can carry diseases. Don’t handle them without protective gear
-
Fox or coyote mothers must go hunting, sometimes for long stretches of time. If you’re unsure that the mother is really missing, please wait before approaching the young.
If you are sure that the mother is dead or the fox kits or coyote cubs are abandoned, you may approach using all safety precautions.
Please note that like all k-9 animals, foxes and coyotes are susceptible to imprinting, especially when they’re young. An imprinted coyote or fox may be un-releasable. Once the animal is in your care, secure it and avoid any other interaction.
-
Mother rabbits don’t always stay close to their young and because they nest in shallow “scrapes” in the ground it is easy to conclude that they’ve been abandoned. It is very hard for baby rabbits to thrive in captivity so please make sure that the is really abandoned or lost before interfering, and try reuniting it with it’s mother by following these instructions.
Do not attempt to re-nest a baby rabbit if it’s injured, was grabbed by an animal, is dehydrated, nesting in a precarious place or hopping around on its own. If the baby is very cold, try warming it up for an hour placing it in a box half on and half off a heating pad or use a warm towel.
Re-nesting using the “X-test”:
1. Always use gloves, as rabbits are very sensitive to foreign scents!
2. Look for a nearby nest- small scrape lined with a mixture of dried grass and rabbit fur. If there is one nearby, cover it back up with dried grass and fur.
3. The “X-test”- Place a pine needles, pieces of grass, or leaves over the nest in an X shape and place the baby on top of it. Take a photo for comparison.
4. Leave the nest undisturbed for 12 hours (make sure there are no pets around).
5. If the X pattern is disturbed but the nest is still intact, the mother is caring for the young.
-
Older baby squirrel- moves around independently but tends to cling to people or pets- call us.
Younger baby squirrel- eyes still closed and moves around on its belly- you may attempt to reunite it with it’s mother by following these instructions:
1. Prepare a shallow box to put the baby in by placing a heat source and soft cloth in the box. You can use a rice sock or water bottle heated up in the microwave until warm as a heat source. Make sure the cloth is between the heat and baby, or the baby may get burned.
2. Place the baby in a shallow box at the base of the tree, closest to where it was found. Make sure the box is off the ground so ants can’t get into it (set it on a chair or nail it to the tree).
3. Play this video of a Baby Squirrel Cry from your phone and place it next to the box. Quickly go back inside (or back very far away if you are not at home).
4. Leave the video on loop for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the phone for 30 minutes. Repeat looping the video for 15 minutes and removing the phone for 30 minutes.
5. Give the mother four hours to retrieve her young.
6. If after four hours the baby was not retrieved, bring the box inside and follow the Temporary Care Instructions here.
Found a Baby Mammal?
Before you approach what might look like an abandoned baby mammal, please be advised:
1. If the animal is showing one or more of the following signs- call us: 208-973-8972
Visible injury
Covered in flies
Caught by a dog or cat
Dehydration (skin does not return to original shape within one second when pinched).
2. They might not be abandoned!
Different animals have different approaches to parenthood and some might leave their young for long periods of time. Make sure that you’re not kidnapping by reading the following about the most common animals we encounter. If you’re not sure- give us a call.
3. Protect Yourself:
Some animals carry diseases that can affect humans. To avoid unnecessary risk of infection or just bites, scratches and other injuries- please wear protective gloves and deal with the animals using a large towel or blanket.
4. Protect the animal you’re trying to save:
When you’re trying to approach a scared and sometimes injured animal you might cause some harm even if you’re only trying to help. To avoid causing more harm than good- please note that different animals require different methods of handling. If you’re not sure what to do- call us and we’ll do our best to help.
Please do not feed the animal unless you have the proper guidelines for doing so.
If you do need to handle the animal, please minimize their exposure to humans and pets alike. Keep them out of earshot and avoid handling them or letting kids or pets get close to them, as it might stress them and might cause them to harm themselves.
5. Avoid imprinting:
Some animals tend to imprint on humans and that connection can be hard to undo. An imprinted animal may not be releasable or if released, may tend to get into trouble by getting close to humans.
If you can avoid getting close and you’re able to call for help- please contact us and we will handle the animal.
If you need to rescue the animal on your own- please do it with as little contact and human interaction as possible. Once the animal is in your care, secure it and avoid any other interaction.
