Don’t kidnap me 🐰

🐰 FOUND A BUNNY NEST? PLEASE DON’T “RESCUE” THEM! 🌿

Baby bunnies are one of the #1 calls we receive, and in most cases, the very best thing we can do for them is leave them right where they are — with their mom.

Mother rabbits intentionally stay away from their nests most of the day to avoid attracting predators. She typically returns only around dawn and dusk, often nursing for just a few minutes. So not seeing Mom does not mean the babies have been abandoned.

If you find a nest in your yard:

• Keep dogs and cats away. Use a temporary barrier, upside-down laundry basket with an opening for Mom, or supervised/leashed potty breaks until the babies leave the nest.
• Don’t move the nest. If it was accidentally disturbed, gently put the grass/fur covering back in place.
• Check whether Mom is returning. Lay a few pieces of string or small twigs loosely across the nest in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Check the next morning. If the pattern has been disturbed, Mom has likely visited.
• Avoid handling the babies unnecessarily. A baby rabbit sitting quietly in a nest does not need to be fed, given water, or brought inside.

Baby rabbits are incredibly sensitive to stress. Capture myopathy — a potentially fatal stress response — is a real concern in wild rabbits, which is another reason unnecessary handling, chasing, and captivity should be avoided.

Their mother gives them something no rehabilitator can truly replace. ❤️

If the babies are injured, cold, visibly weak, covered in flies/maggots, or you have confirmed Mom has not returned, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator before intervening.

Sometimes the best rescue is simply protecting the nest and letting Mom do what she does best. 🐇🌿