Orphans in the wild: To rescue or not?
Photo courtesy of AMERICAN HERITAGE WILDLIFE FOUNDATION A young orphaned raccoon is treated at the American Heritage Wildlife Foundation.
Photo courtesy of AMERICAN HERITAGE WILDLIFE FOUNDATION Mallard ducklings are often a common animal picked up and taken to American Heritage Wildlife Foundation, Inc.
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series on wild “orphans.”
By KATHLEEN ST. CLAIR-McGEE
Contributing writer
“Mommy, look what I found!”
Whether it is a baby bird, squirrel, bunny, or other wild animal, children have a knack for finding wild orphans. Across the United States and in other countries during the spring months, thousands of wild animal babies will be picked up; some need to be rescued, some do not.
At American Heritage Wildlife Foundation, we cared for more than 100 individual patients last year from 38 different species. Most of the wild babies are brought to us by well-intentioned individuals, but many of these babies did not need to be rescued.
Baby bunnies are one of the wild animals rescued most often, but usually do not need human help. Mother rabbits are only at the nest to feed their babies twice a day for about five minutes — at dawn and dusk. And, yes, they really did put the nest in the middle of your backyard!
One reason for this is so mama rabbit can see any predators that may be approaching while she is nursing her young. Baby rabbits are in their nest for only two to three weeks; a pretty short time before they are independent. Leave the nest alone unless you find cold, limp babies, or obviously injured ones. American Heritage Wildlife Foundation is your local wildlife rehabilitation facility and will provide advice for you on how to keep the young safe in the nest until they are ready to live on their own. Keep in mind, the young rabbits are independent at a very early age.
There is a myth that once a baby bird is touched by a human, it will not be cared for by the parent birds. Not true! First of all, birds, except for those in the vulture family, have poor to no sense of smell. They cannot tell if you touched the baby to return it to the nest. However, if you put a cold baby bird back in the nest and it is unable to beg for food when the parent arrives, it is in trouble. The volunteers at AHWF will gladly offer advice on the best course of action. Often the little birds either hop out or is pushed out of the nest by siblings. Pick up the bird, carefully look for trauma. Return the bird to the nest if it is warm and responsive or create an alternative nest. Watch the area to ensure the parent(s) start to feed. This information is also applicable to young tree squirrels! The mother will smell humans but her instinct will override and just be glad to have the baby back.
“It is illegal as well as unwise to keep wildlife as pets or even to try to raise orphans unless you are trained and have the proper permits from state and federal wildlife agencies,” said a lead wildlife care specialist. American Heritage Wildlife Foundation is a member of the national organizations of professional rehabilitation associations and has almost 20 years of experience. Licensed wildlife rehabilitators have the knowledge and experience to care for wild orphans that need help. They know how to raise orphans to be healthy and wild. When you find a wild animal you think needs help, it is best to call for advice so both you and the wild animal remain safe. Even with the shared knowledge of 5,000 nationally recognized professional wildlife rehabbers, there is no substitute for Mother Nature. When it is possible to reunite a mother with her young, this is always the best solution.
In North Idaho you can call American Heritage Wildlife Foundation at (208) 266-1488. Our acronym is AHWF. Use this to remember how to identify if the animal is in need of help.
A — Awareness of your surroundings.
H — Hesitate before approaching any wild animal.
W — Watch for signs of distress (vocalization, bleeding, flies or maggots present).
F — Follow through with appropriate actions. This means contact Idaho Department of Fish & Game or the professional wildlife rehab facility for the species you are observing.
Mystic Farms will assist you with white tailed deer and other ungulate questions. Bird of Prey Northwest will answer your questions about raptors (eagles, hawks, owls). American Heritage Wildlife Foundation will help with any questions relating to all the native species of North Idaho. Do not consult the internet for advice on how to care for the animal long-term. Knowledge may take a minute but there is not an expedient way to gain experience. Let the professionals do their job. If you really care about keeping North Idaho wild, you will donate time, treasure or talents.
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Kathleen St. Clair-McGee is the founder of American Heritage Wildlife Foundation Inc. and serves as the nonprofit’s president on its board of directors. She can be reached at ahwf.org or by phone at (208) 266-1488.