Q. A moment ago, I accidentally kicked open a nest of baby rabbits while walking in the thick grass at the far corner of my backyard. They seem so helpless. I waited but saw no sign of their mother. Should I rescue them?

A. They do not need to be rescued. The mother would not return as long as you remained near the nest. Just replace the top of the nest you uncovered and leave. Cottontail rabbits leave their young for hours while feeding themselves. Typically, they feed their young only three times per day. If you want to be certain the mother has returned, you can place two pieces of thread in an “X” over the nest and check the nest the following day. If the thread has been moved, mom has returned.

Q. A baby bird has fallen out of its nest in a tree in my backyard. I am afraid something might happen to it if I leave it on the ground. should I bring it into the house and feed it until it is able to fly?

A. No. The best thing to do is to carefully place the bird back in its nest. Don’t worry about getting your scent on the bird; it will not affect the mother’s care. Even if you find that the nest has blown out of a tree, put it back in the tree securely with the nestlings. If the nest is completely out of reach for you, only then should you get the baby bird to a rehabilitator. Do not try to raise the bird yourself. There are specialized diets for each species and it is important that the young one be raised with others of its kind.

Q. A few minutes ago, I was walking through the woods and saw several baby raccoons on the ground near a large hollow tree. I wonder if they fell out of the hole way up in the tree and the mother has abandoned them because she can’t put them back in the nest. Should I bring them home and care for them?

A. No. Most likely, the young raccoons are merely exploring and their mother is nearby. They are probably old enough to be fully capable of climbing back up the tree to their den when they are ready to return. If they were too young to climb, their mother would carry them back.

Q. This morning I found an abandoned fawn near the edge of a field on my property. I brought the fawn into my home to save it, but I don’t know how to take care of it. What should I do?

A. Immediately take the fawn back to where you found it and leave it there. The mother should come back again to care for the fawn. Even one to two days after removal from the wild, fawns have been successfully reunited with their mothers by returning them to the place where they were found. When you picked up the fawn, the mother was probably eating not far away. Usually young fawns are quite safe when left alone because their color pattern and lack of scent help them to remain undetected until their mother’s return. Does feed their young only twice a day. The rest of the time they are a short distance from the young one so as not to draw attention to the baby.

Q. It would be a good experience for my children to raise this wild baby. Why can’t they?

A. It is illegal for a non-licensed person to possess wildlife. A state wildlife rehabilitation license is required, and in the case of migratory birds, federal permits are also required. If you are caught with an illegal animal, there is a good chance the Game Commission will seize the animal and euthanize it, and there is a very good possibility costly fines will be imposed. In addition, there are diseases and viruses that can be passed to humans by wild creatures. Many mammals carry rabies and to handle these animals, you must be protected against the fatal disease. Most importantly, each mammal and bird requires its own special formula to grow properly. To feed an animal an incorrect or unnatural diet will not enable that creature to develop as it should and it may die or have to be euthanized. Many babies, such as songbirds, require hourly feedings. It is necessary to know not only the proper diet but also the feeding schedule of each wild animal to raise it properly. Teach your children respect for all life. Wild animals are just that - wild! The ultimate goal for every animal received by Wildlife Rescue is to return it to its natural environment. That baby animal is not a toy or an amusement and deserves the best chance a life which only an experienced rehabilitator can offer it.

Please remember: NO human can raise that wild baby as well as its mother can. And it is vitally important that it be raised with its siblings - or at least with its own kind. Every effort should be made to reunite the baby with its mother. However, if you are absolutely certain that the mother has been killed, then, wearing gloves, carefully place the baby(ies) in a shoe box or similar container and call your nearest rehabilitator. DO NOT FEED THEM! They will be fine until a rehabber can be reached. For each species, mammal or bird, there are very specialized diets. Never attempt to force water on any baby, especially birds. It is very easy to choke or drown them. Keep them warm and in a quiet, dark place until you reach a rehabber. If you find an orphaned fawn (such as one lying near a road next to its dead mother), get it to a rehabber ASAP. Never attempt to feed the fawn cow’s milk - this can mean death for the fawn. With too much human exposure, even at a very early age, fawns easily identify with humans and it is very difficult to “untame” a young fawn. A tame fawn is a dead fawn . . . you have destroyed any chance it may have for a normal life.