Baby Season at the wildlife Rehabilitation Center!
We are in the middle of another busy baby season this year! Our rehabilitation center has exploded with baby birds, squirrels, opossums and cottontails. Each day our intake center receives about twenty new animals in need of care, and that number will continue to rise in the coming months. With summer right around the corner, raccoons, fawns, and foxes will also be added to the new arrival list.
More than 2,500 orphaned and injured wild animals have already come to us this year. You may be wondering why we get so many animals. The majority are orphaned, but for a variety of reason. Spring is prime time for tree trimming, gardening, and time spent outdoors. Squirrels and birds build nests in trees, grills, cars, and boats that have not been used all winter. Cottontails create a shallow burrow, usually in high grass that needs to be mowed. Raccoons and foxes like to make dens in brush piles. Opossum mamas often carry around a lot of babies (up to 13!) and sometimes one or more will fall off, and she will not return for them. You can see how all of these situations could cause a problem as we clean up our yards.
We recommend that you look before you trim, mow, or burn. Also, if mom runs off, she will most likely return for her babies (with the exception of opossums), and sometimes she will relocate them to a safer area given the chance. AWR staff answer our telephone hotline every day (weekends included!) to help with your wildlife questions and encounters. Please call us and we can advise you on the best options for you and the critters in your yards.
Hotline Questions
Q: I found a baby fawn by itself, should I bring it to you?
A: Most of the time, the answer is no you do not need to bring it to AWR. A mother deer will leave her baby in one spot for up to twelve hours at a time. She is foraging and not drawing attention to her young. She will be back in the evening to feed her baby and protect it overnight. If the baby is curled up in a ball sleeping, even if it is out in the sun, it is best to leave it alone.
Chimney Swifts
Q: I have something in my chimney, what can I do?
A: Chimneys are a safe and inviting place for both mammals and birds to have their young. If you have birds, they are usually chimney swifts. While they can be loud, the young usually fledge (or leave the nest) within four weeks. It is best to let them raise their young, then clean up the chimney and cap it so this does not happen in the future. If it is a mammal, you can soak a rag in ammonia and put it at the bottom of the chimney or on the lower shelf. You can also play music and this will make the dark quiet environment uncomfortable so raccoons and squirrels will move their young to a new location. Please call us with details if you are having this issue.