Many wild animals are born during the spring and summer months. In your own backyard, you may come across baby birds, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, deer, and other young wildlife as they make they make their way into the world.
For many people, the pleasure of seeing these young creatures is mixed with a sense of protectiveness—of wanting to help them survive. But spotting a baby animal by himself doesn't necessarily mean he's an orphan. Many wildlife parents leave their young alone during the day, sometimes for long periods. The mother is usually nearby and quite conscious of her young. Also, keep in mind that despite their small size, many young animals are actually independent enough to fend for themselves.
How To Tell if an Animal Needs Your Help or Should be Left Alone
Here are some general signs to look for:
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- a wild animal presented to you by a cat or dog
- bleeding
- an apparent or obvious broken limb
- a featherless or nearly featherless bird (nestling) on the ground
- shivering
- evidence of a dead parent nearby
Is the Animal Really an Orphan?
Many young animals may appear to be orphaned, but actually may be doing just fine on their own. Determining whether or not an animal is an orphan depends on the animal's age and species, and how you may perceive their natural behaviors. Here’s more information on the young of species you may encounter, to help you decide whether or not they need to be rescued.
Baby Deer
People often mistakenly assume that a baby deer, called a fawn, is orphaned if found alone. Rest assured that the mother deer, the doe, is probably nearby. The doe will only visit and nurse her fawn a few times a day to avoid attracting predators. Unless you know the mother is dead, leave the fawn alone.
Mother deer are wary of human smells; if you have already handled the fawn, take a towel, rub it in the grass, and then wipe down the fawn to remove all human scent. Then return the fawn to the place where you found him.
If the fawn is lying on his side, or wandering and crying incessantly, he may be orphaned. If this is the case, call a wildlife rehabilitator in your area. But remember: a fawn found alone and quiet is okay.
Baby Birds
It’s a myth that birds abandon their young if a person touches them. Unlike other animals, birds are not sensitive to the human scent.
If baby birds have fallen from their nest, you can put them back if safe to do so.
If the original nest was destroyed or is too high to reach, hang a small basket close to where the original nest was. Woven stick baskets work well for this purpose—they resemble natural nests and allow rain to pass through so the birds won’t drown. If you don’t already have one around the house, baskets can be inexpensively purchased at garden or craft supply stores. Make sure the basket isn’t too deep, since adult birds won’t jump into anything they can’t see out of.
Move away from the area, but keep watch for an hour to make sure the parent birds return to the new nest to feed their chicks. If they don’t return, contact a local resource in your area.
Birds that are fully feathered on their bodies but with short tail feathers may be fledglings (adolescent birds). You may see them hopping about on the ground, but unable to fly. This is normal: birds learn to fly from the ground up!
Often the young leave the nest several days before they are able to fly. The fledglings may remain on the ground for a few days, supervised and fed by their parents before they get the hang of flying. Keep a lookout for parent birds, who will feed their fledglings a few times per hour.
Be sure to keep pets away from the area—dogs should be leashed and cats kept indoors. If there are stray pets in the area, put the fledglings in a small basket and hang it securely from a nearby tree limb. Hopefully, this will keep the birds off the ground for the few extra days they need before they can fly. However, if the birds appears injured, alone, or in imminent danger, contact a wildlife rehabilitator near you.
Baby Foxes
Often fox kits will appear unsupervised for long periods of time while their parents are out hunting for food. Observe the kits from a distance; if they seem energetic and healthy, just leave them alone. Only contact a wildlife rehabilitator if the kits appear sickly or weak, or if you have reason to believe both parents are dead.
Baby Opossums
Baby opossums are born as embryos, barely larger than a bee. They crawl up to their mother’s pouch where they spend about two months attached to one of her nipples. When baby opossums get to be about 3-4 inches long, they ride around on their mother’s back—and if they fall off, she may not notice the babies are missing.
As a general rule, if the opossum is less than 7 inches long (not including the tail), he is an orphan. Over 7 inches long, he’s old enough to be on his own.
Baby Rabbits
If you find a nest of baby rabbits and the nest is intact and the babies uninjured, leave them alone. Mother rabbits only visit their young 2-3 times a day to avoid attracting predators.
If the rabbit nest has been disturbed, or if you think the babies are orphaned, recover the nest with surrounding natural materials such as grass and leaves.
Put an “X” of sticks or yarn over the nest to assess if the mother is returning to nurse her young.
If the “X” is moved but the nest is still covered by the next day, the mother has returned to nurse the babies.
If the “X” remains undisturbed for 24 hours, contact a wildlife rehabilitator near you.
Keep all pets out of the area, as they will surely find and kill the young rabbits. Also, try not to touch the babies, as mother rabbits are very sensitive to foreign smells and may abandon their young. A rabbit who is four inches long with open eyes and erect ears is independent from his mother and able to fend for himself.
Baby Raccoons
If the baby raccoon has been seen alone for more than a few hours, he’s probably been orphaned. Mother raccoons closely supervise their young and don’t let them out of their sight. You can put an upside-down laundry basket over the baby (with a weight on top) and monitor him for a few hours. If the mother does not return, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator.
Baby Skunks
If you see a baby skunk running around a yard or neighborhood all alone, there's a chance he is orphaned. You may even see a line of baby skunks, nose to tail, running around by themselves—its likely they’re become separated from their mother.
Skunks have poor eyesight, so if something scares a mother skunk and she runs off, her babies can quickly lose sight of her.
In these circumstances, we recommend monitoring the situation for an hour or two to see if the mother appears. You can also put on gloves and slowly place a plastic laundry basket upside down over the skunks to keep them in one spot and make it easier for the mother to find them.
Be aware that skunks spray to protect themselves from quickly moving threats such as dogs—if you move slowly and speak softly, it's unlikely that you will be sprayed. If alarmed, skunks give a warning by stamping their front feet. So, if a skunk doesn’t stamp, she's probably not concerned, and you may proceed. If no mother appears to retrieve her young, contact a wildlife rehabilitator.
Baby Squirrels
If tree work was recently done and the nest or baby fell down as a result, give the mother squirrel a chance to reclaim her young.
If the baby is uninjured, leave him where he is, then leave the area and keep people and pets away. Monitor from a safe distance.
If the baby is not retrieved by sundown, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator. If it’s chilly outside, or the baby isn’t fully furred, place him in a shallow box with something warm underneath (like a heating pad on a low setting or a hot water bottle) so he doesn’t get cold and compromised while waiting for his mother to return. Do not cover the squirrel with leaves or blankets, as the mother may not be able to find him.
Note: A squirrel who is nearly full sized, has a full and fluffy tail and is able to run, jump, and climb is independent.
Finding Help
If a wild animal exhibits any of the above signs, you should immediately call one of the following local resources for assistance. You will find listings for most of these in your telephone directory, or try an online search (i.e., "Los Angeles animal shelter").
Capture and Transport
Once you've contacted the right person, describe the animal and his physical condition as accurately as possible. Unless directed otherwise, here's how you can make an animal more comfortable for transport or while you're waiting for help to arrive:
- Punch holes, from the inside out, into a cardboard box or other container. A paper bag may be suitable for most songbirds.
- Line the box with an old T-shirt or other soft cloth.
- Put on gloves.
- Use a towel or pillowcase to cover the animal, then scoop him up gently and place him in the container.
- Do not give the animal food or water. He could choke, develop digestive problems, or drown. Many injured animals are in shock, and eating or drinking can make it worse.
- Place the container in a warm, dark, quiet place—away from pets, children, and noise—until you can transport the animal.
- Transport the animal as soon as possible. While in the car, keep the carrier out of the sun and away from direct air conditioning or heat. Keep the car radio off and talking to a minimum.
- Never handle an adult animal without first consulting with a wildlife professional. Even small animals can injure you.
