Helping Baby Mammals / A.R.K.

Helping Baby Mammals

Bats
	Bats, so misunderstood and maligned, are extremely beneficial to the environment and should be helped when found. If you find a baby bat on the ground, it usually means the mother has accidentally dropped it while flying. Take every precaution when trying to help. Always use gloves and a light towel to pick up the bat and place in a closed container with air holes. Make sure there is a towel in the box for the baby to lie on or attach to (see: Tips on Transporting Wild Animals). Take it immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Chipmunks
	It is unusual to find a baby chipmunk, but if you do find one it probably needs help. Even small babies have teeth and may bite. Use gloves or a towel and place in a box with a heat source (see: Tips on Transporting Wild Animals). Take it immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Fawns (young deer)
	Fawns under 2 weeks of age are left lying curled up in a secluded place for their own protection. It does not have any scent yet and is safe from predators. Mothers return only to feed the babies, but are generally not far away. If you find a fawn curled up and not moving, leave it alone. Only if a fawn is clearly sick or injured, or begins following you and/or cries and tries to approach you do you know it needs help. Fawns imprint on humans very easily and must be handled as little as possible. Call the center for handling instructions, and do not feed the fawn.
Opossums
	If you see a dead opossum along the road during the spring, summer, or fall, check to see if she still has babies in her pouch. If she does, do not attempt to remove the babies yourself. Take the dead mother, with the babies still in the pouch, to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. If you see a wandering opossum smaller than 8-10 inches, it probably needs help. Such babies are often found looking for food near a dead mother. Young opossums 8-10 inches long or larger (not including their tails) are fine on their own.
Rabbits
	Mother rabbits leave their their young for many hours at a time, returning only to feed them once or twice in 24 hour period. Baby bunnies are completely independent of their mothers after only 3 to 4 weeks. When they about the size of a tennis ball, with ears up and eyes open, they are off on their own. Remember, if you have to catch it, it probably doesn't need your help! I f you accidentally run over a nest with the mower and find no one hurt, gather up the scattered grass and cover the nest. Cross 2 small twigs over the nest and wait 12 hours. if you check after 12 hours and the twigs have not been moved, the mother has not returned and you can take the babies to a licensed rehabilitation center. Use twigs, not string. Wild animals can easily get tangled in string.
Raccoons
	Mother raccoons make their nests in a vatiety of sheltered places. A tree cavity is a first choice, but as more and more trees are cut down, raccoons are adapting by using chimneys, attics, garages, barns, and sheds. Orphaned babies wander out out of the den when they are hungry. They may be crying and/or look weak or sickly. Do not pick them up with your bare hands. Using a towel or gloves, gently place the baby or babies in a box with a heat source (see: Tips on Transporting Wild Animals). Take it immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Skunks
	Because skunks are known for their ability to spray nasty fumes, many are not helped when in trouble. Skunks are also high on the list as a rabies vector species. As with any wild animal, you should always be careful not to get bitten or scratched. Even a baby skunk only days old is capable of spraying, so move slowly and quietly. Gently place a towel over the animal before picking it up with gloved hands and placing it in a box. If the skunk is kept quiet and under a towel it is unlikely that it will spray (see: Tips on Transporting Wild Animals). Take it immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Squirrels
	If a baby is found on the ground, it probably needs help. Do not try to put it back in the nest. With gloves or a towel, gently pick up the baby and place it in a box with a heat source (see: Tips on Transporting Wild Animals). Take it immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Woodchucks
	If you find a baby woodchuck it probably needs your help. They only come out of their burrows if they are hungry and their mothers have not returned to feed them. Sometimes other animals will dig into the burrow and remove the babies. In this case they will probably be injured. Burrows can also be destroyed by heavy rains and land clearing equipment. If you see a baby without its mother, gently pick it up with gloves or a towel and place in a box with a heat source. Young woodchucks have very sharp teeth and will bite when frightened (see: Tips on Transporting Wild Animals). Take immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

	Association to Rescue Kritters
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