1. WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION
LESSON 26
WILDLIFE REHABILITATION
If you care leave them there
By Suzanne Johnson
As a wildlife rehabilitator I have the
opportunity to build an appreciation and
empathy for the wild world around us. It’s an
opportunity that few people have and I am
grateful. It’s something that I have been able
to share with my students and with my own
children. In this power point I am using real
photos from animals I have raised to teach
children the need to do as little harm as
possible while helping wildlife.

2. So, it's not unusual to see a young robin
crouched on the lawn or a young rabbit in the
flower garden, both apparently motherless.
Or, to find a fawn lying by itself. Often, we step
in to help. This is when problems arise; when
we assume that young wildlife we find alone
are abandoned, helpless and need saving
In nearly
all cases,
this is a
mistake.

3. Most are learning
survival from one or
both parents, some
normally receive
little or no parental
care. Often, wild
animal parents stay
away from their
young when people
are near.

5. Q. A baby bird was on my lawn. There are no feathers at all
and it’s pretty tiny. I see a nest in the bushes but I can’t put it
back because my little brother touched it.

6. A. A bird that size is very difficult to care for.
They need to eat almost every 15 minutes from dawn to dusk.
The good news is that song
birds have a very poor sense
of smell. They really don’t
know that their baby has
been touched and as long as
you are not disruptive or you
don’t stay too long, you can
put that baby right back in
the nest.
You can even put the baby in a different nest of babies.
Birds can’t count and will feed whatever opens its mouth.

7. Q. There is a young blue jay in my backyard and it seems to be
having difficulty flying even though it has feathers.
I can’t see
anything
broken, but I
am afraid that
either my dog
or cat will get it.
Should I bring
it inside and
feed it until it is
able to fly?

8. A. No. As a fledgling, it had enough feathers to leave the
nest. This means it is old enough to learn to fly, which it will
begin to do very quickly, within days. Leave the bird alone,
but you should keep your dog or cat in the house so it won't
disturb the bird.
~ The mother and
father will continue
to feed it and lead it
to a safer place

9. Q. The cat just
caught and killed
a mother bird.
The baby birds
are now
obviously
orphaned.
Shouldn't I take
them to a wildlife
rehabilitator?

10. A. Most
songbird
young are
cared for by
both parents.
If one of the
parent birds
is killed, the
surviving
adult can
successfully
raise the
chicks.

11. DON’T STEAL BABY BIRDS
IF YOU CARE, LEAVE THEM THERE!
U N L E S S …..
DAMAGED FOOT
DAMAGED WING
CAT/DOG ATTACK DAMAGE
NO FEATHERS
NO NEST
FLEW INTO WALL
(You can keep it warm and dark for a few hours and see if it comes around)

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

14. A. In most cases, the fawn probably isn't abandoned.
Immediately take the fawn back to where
you found it and leave it there. LEAVE
The mother should come back again looking 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.

15. We try not to steal baby deer.
When you picked up the fawn,
,
the mother was probably
not far away.
Usually, young fawns are quite safe when
left alone for the day by their mother.

16. Q. I found a baby deer on my lawn. It is crying and alone..
IT’S SAFE TO LIVE IN TOWN!!!
No one shoots guns near houses
No killer highways to cross
They know people can only go
30mph in the city
No coyote packs eating fawns
Dogs are supposed to be tied up.
People plant delicious things to eat

17. DON’T STEAL BABY DEER
IF YOU CARE, LEAVE THEM THERE!
U N L E S S …..
If a fawn is on a road, shoe it to
the side and into the forest not
far from where it was, the
mother will come to look for it.
If you find the dead mother, then the baby needs help.
There may be another baby nearby
If the fawn is cripple with difficulty walking
Hit by a car or attacked by an animal
Has been crying and alone for more than ten hours

19. Q. My cat brought a baby bunny up to the doorstep. Can I keep it?

20. A. Cats are very toxic and bunnies are very delicate
Cat scratches and bites need treatment with an antibiotic
Rabbits are very difficult to raise and feed.
You can return it to the wild if it is able to hop on its own
and is eating grass and the ears are standing straight up.
Also, only if it has no physical scratches or bites.

21. 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 seemed so helpless. I waited, but saw no
sign of their mother.
Should I rescue them?

22. A. They do not need to be
rescued. The mother will
not return as long as you
remain at the nest. Just
replace the top of the nest
that you uncovered and
leave.
The mother will return and care for the young. Cottontail
rabbits leave their young for many hours while eating, but
return for a brief time to nurse the young. As with other
young wildlife, it is best to LEAVE THEM ALONE!

23. Most bay animals have no real
scent. The mothers do and
that can attract predators.
The mothers stay away and
eat until they are ready to
nurse the babies again.
If you find a bunny nest and
want to make sure they have
not been abandoned, you
can make an “X” across the
top of the covered nest with
two pieces of thread. If you
come back much, much later
and the thread has not been
disturbed, you know the
mother has not bee back.

24. DON’T STEAL BABY BUNNIES
IF YOU CARE, LEAVE THEM THERE!
U N L E S S …..
The baby is cold
The mother is found dead
The nest has been unattended for more than a day
The baby has been attacked and injured by another animal
You find a baby that has been taken from the
nest and is too immature to be left on its own.

27. DON’T STEAL BABY ANIMALS
IF YOU CARE, LEAVE THEM THERE!
If something
happens to a
mother animal, the
babies will come
out of the nests or
dens to find food.
This is when they
may come up to
people for help. If
a squirrel follows
you around, it is
abandoned.
EVER
DO NOT EVER, EVER ,
TAKE ON OR DEAL WITH AN ADULT ANIMAL
THEY CAN CARRY DISEASE AND BE VERY DANGEROUS

29. WHAT IF THE ANIMAL DOES NEED CARE???
Keep it quiet,
Keep it dark,
Offer water but
DO NOT FORCE WATER
(No water down bird’s throats)
Get it to a rehabilitator
Animals belong to the state they live in.
Migratory birds belong to the Federal Government
It is illegal to keep a wild animal without proper licensing