Had four newborn bunnies in my yard with no mom in sight. What can I do for them?
2006-08-01 07:18:32 · 11 answers · asked by smiley41000 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Watch the nest for 24 hours. Certain animals, like wild rabbits, leave their young alone for long stretches of time to avoid alerting predators that the nest is there. The mother rabbit will probably come back at dawn or dusk. (If they are not in a nest and are fully furred with their eyes open, then they are independent and don't need any help. Though it seems small, young rabbits the size of a chipmunk can be fully independent if they have fur and open eyes.)
If you have kept an eye on the nest and are absolutely sure that the mother will not return, call a local wildlife rehabilitate. This website can help you fine one near you: http://www.wildlife-international.org/EN/public/emergency/emergencyrehab.html
They will tell you what to do.
DO NOT attempt to raise them yourself. Wild rabbits get stressed very easily, and they are not like domestic rabbits. They should not be fed pellets. Wildlife rehabilitates see too many baby rabbits die because well-meaning people try to raise them.
2006-08-01 07:58:09 · answer #1 · answered by kolvirbleys 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
These articles have a lot of great info and will help you a lot -
http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/orphan.html
As they say, "If you just happened to stumble on a nest, you need to understand that nursing wild mother cottontails only feed their babies during the night and for a few minutes in the early morning hours. That is the only time you will see the mother at the nest. So you might falsely assume that the mother is neglecting her litter or that she has completely abandoned them when these babies are actually in no danger."
And "there is a good chance that she is feeding her babies, even if she seems to be ignoring them. A mother rabbit does not constantly tend to her babies the way a mother carnivore does. Rabbit mamas feed their babies only twice per day, and then leave them alone. This is normal and natural: in the wild, a mother rabbit not in the process of feeding her offpsring stays as far away from the nest as possible to avoid attracting predators to her babies."
Have a read of these two articles for more info.
2006-08-02 02:46:26 · answer #2 · answered by Lea 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's probable that they aren't abandoned at all. Leave them alone and let nature take it's course. Unless you specifically know that something has happened to the mom-bunny, then I'd say you should assume that things are as they should be.
2006-08-01 07:30:07 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Feel if the babies are warm and feel if their bellies are full. If they are then the mother has been there recently.
First keep the babies warm. Hold them in your hands or warm them in your shirt (but be very careful not to drop them). Put the babies in a box lined with white sheets or t-shirt/sweatshirt material. Fill a soda bottle with very warm water and put it in a sock so that they have a nice warm waterbottle.
Then you should contact a wildlife rehabilitator in your area. It is unlikely that you can save the babies on your own so you will need their help.
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/wbb.shtml
http://www.petplace.com/small-mammals/orphaned-wild-rabbits/page1.aspx
2006-08-01 09:09:03 · answer #4 · answered by All is On 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
leave them alone, the mom only comes back a few times a day. and the baby bunnies can take care of them selves as soon as their eyes are opened
2006-08-01 07:31:40 · answer #5 · answered by Taldeara 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The mother bunny only checks on the babies about twice a day. They are probably fine.
2006-08-01 08:27:03 · answer #6 · answered by sugarcarat 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leave them alone if they are in any kind of nest. Mother rabbits only visit their babies once a day to avoid leading predators back to them.
2006-08-01 08:35:06 · answer #7 · answered by BB 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to Wal-mart and in the pet dept. there should be something called KMR or kitten milk replacement get that and there should be small baby bottles there too. just follow the instructions on the can.
2006-08-01 07:43:20 · answer #8 · answered by Samantha C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First leave them alone and check for any wildlife rehabilitation near you. They may take them or help you to take care of them till they can be released
2006-08-01 07:25:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Feed them and take care of them until they understand u r there to help not harm ive done this before it worked for me GOOD LUCK!
2006-08-01 07:57:04 · answer #10 · answered by Cntrygrl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋