Article and images by Jen Howard
Approximate read time: 3 minutes
Little orphans are coming into the Centre at a good clip, and as warmer weather arrives, plans are in place to release a lot of our overwintered animals. The sun is finally cooperating so they can have a couple of good days upon their releases.
Wildlife mothers are extremely amazing towards their little ones. Please do not relocate at this time of year as it is pretty certain there are babies, and relocating takes mothers away from their precious babies and their homes. They will most likely not make it. Not all babies are found, leading to a horrible death of fear and starvation, waiting for her to return. Mothers will move their babies on their own if you really cannot allow them to stay. As a matter of fact, in Ontario, it is illegal to relocate wild animals more than a kilometre from where they were found, and must be done within 24 hours of capture.
A couple of years ago a mother raccoon got into my husband’s shop attic. He heard the little ones and said, “Well, it’s my fault for not looking after that hole. They can stay”. And they did. It was amazing watching them grow up. Quite entertaining. Getting to know her routine made it easy with our dog, and when in doubt, when the babies started coming out, he went out on leash. No big deal. Come fall they moved on, hole closed up, all good.
Call Procyon for advice 905-729-0033. We are here to help.
Making it uncomfortable is the key to making animals move on their own. Lights, radio, noise. If they leave any babes behind, your only job is to secure into a container to keep them warm until she can get back to retrieve them. Nothing else. Nothing by mouth because if something goes wrong with the feeding, babes can aspirate and die if not tended to immediately. And they need to be hungry and cry to get mother’s attention. Try to reunite.
The same goes for squirrels. You can also use a baby distress call from YouTube to get mom’s attention. Rabbits feed dusk and dawn. If a nest is found, put a large old laundry basket with a hole big enough for mom to enter and she will come. Weight it down. If you haven’t seen mom, you can put string criss crossed across the nest, if she comes it will be moved. Trail cameras are also great for this. If your dog or cat found them check for any injuries. Cat bites are the worst for infections, and babes will need immediate care from us if injured. Keeping cats inside is the best idea for all. Since you can legally have wildlife in your presence for 24 hours, this gives you time to find a rehab facility.
It must be horrible for mothers who are taken away from their babies. Let’s all work harder to keep them together by doing the right thing.
Back at the Centre, fox kits are doing well with eyes open now, tiny babies are fostered out for round the clock care until old enough to stay at the Centre. Releases are getting geared up and waiting on still warmer weather to release reptiles, amphibians and bats. Baby sounds fill the air, with silence only on full tummies, then it’s time to take a deep much needed breath, until the next round starts all over again. Precious tiny lives.
Jen Howard