A Bunny Rehabber’s Tale
OK, I don’t intend to frequently post video links here, but this particular video is so beautifully done and touched me so deeply that I can’t resist sharing it. This sums up why I continue to swim against the tide of human-induced wildlife deaths, why we do what we do despite the frequent heartache and difficulty of the task. This is why we are wildlife rehabbers.
A Rehabber’s Tale (YouTube video)
The message here is right on target: If you find a cottontail nest and have no reason to believe that the mother rabbit has been killed, the right thing to do is to leave it alone!! Put the babies back, cover up the nest, and go away. Mama bunny does not spend most of her time at the nest because she does not want to draw predators to it (she only visits a couple of times a day to feed her babies) so you should not be alarmed by a nest without an adult present. If you are unsure whether the mother is caring for her bunnies you should arrange natural materials on top of the nest (i.e. twigs or pebbles) and check back 12 hours later to see if they have been moved. Most importantly, keep your dog and/or cat away from the nest! It only takes 2-3 weeks for the babies to leave on their own.
Be aware that mama bunny is far and away the most successful caregiver a baby bunny could have, and easily superior to human caretakers. People have no business kidnapping baby bunnies simply because they find them cute. The only circumstances under which bunnies should be removed from the nest is if they have either been directly attacked by a predator (in which case they need medical attention) or their mother has been killed. In either case the bunnies *and* nest material should immediately be brought to a licensed wildlife rehabber (easily located online by googling the name of your state and the words “wildlife rehab”). The amazing individual rehabber who made this video had approximately a 70% success rate, which is phenomenal. The large rehab center where I volunteer has maybe a 50-60% success rate. Mama Cottontail’s success rate is probably closer to 90% so long as the nest is not disturbed by a predator. The diarrhea that the rehabber in the video refers to is brought on by formula feedings and the considerable stress of captivity, and is easily the biggest threat to the bunnies I care for. Bunnies have incredibly delicate digestive systems and it is impossible for humans to duplicate the diet that nature intended, yet is easily provided by their mother.
If we love wild things, the best gift we can give them is to let them be wild and live out the lives they are meant to live.
“Those who wish to pet and baby wildlife love them, but those who respect their natures and wish to let them live their natural lives, love them more.”
~ Edwin Way Teale
Frick said,
July 9, 2007 at 8:59 am
Well done. We have bunny nests that occur in our “No Tell Motel” area just outside our house. It’s a slightly overgrown area that’s fenced in and we’ve seen plenty of “Mr. Buns” running around our back yard, and then move across the street to the park. we did unfortunately have one that died in the yard, We think a stray cat got it. Lord knows our cats wouldn’t know what to do with them! Thanks for the message and the wake up call. I’m guessing that they used a Coldplay song for that video.
auntiesmedley said,
July 9, 2007 at 9:06 am
Yup, Coldplay’s lead singer’s vocal style is hard to mistake. Thanks for stopping by, Frick!
BONGO MIRROR said,
July 9, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Arg! My headphones don’t work and everybody is asleep so I can’t listen to it. Oh well. The text and images were clear. And, we do have bunnies here. I haven’t seen a nest though.
stevo said,
July 9, 2007 at 4:01 pm
No rabbits here, or wildlife of any sort.
I don’t think I could deal with the heartbreak of rehabbing injured animals. I once spent a night nursing a bloated sheep. It’s death the next morning was difficult.
bibliomom said,
July 11, 2007 at 2:06 am
I have a soft spot in my heart for rabbits. Ever since my first reading of Watership Down I bestow human qualities on all rabbits in a fashion that probably isn’t logical.
I’m currently nursing back to health a cat that has lost it’s tongue and her litter of 4 kittens and it is draining on me some days.
Zelda said,
July 11, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Great video, auntie.
Bibliomom, I LOVE “Watership Down.” First read it when I was around 9, and I’ve re-read it many times since. Best of luck with the cat and her litter. Thank you for taking care of them – that’s very kind. Hang in there!
Onan da Barbarian said,
July 11, 2007 at 10:22 pm
I once spent a night nursing a bloated sheep. It’s death the next morning was difficult.
But it sure tasted good with mint jelly!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I seem to have an adolescent bunny in my back yard – I saw him this morning and said “Hi”.
I keep my cat indoors so he won’t go hunting (he USED to go outdoors many moons ago).
I try to be kind to all the little creatures around my neighborhood and even give them treats sometimes…
Squirrels LOVE walnuts/peanuts…moose, not so much…
auntiesmedley said,
July 25, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Moose and squirrel?
PEANUT said,
April 17, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I MYSELF AM A REHABBER OF BUNNIES.I GOT MY FIRST EXPERIENCE AT RAISING NEWBORNS WHEN MY MINI REX DOE COULD NOT NURSE HER LITTER. I RAISED FIVE OUT OF HER EIGHT BABBIES SUCCESSFULLY.
I PROGRESSED TO WILD ONES WHEN CUSTOMERS AT THE PET SHOP WHERE I WORK BEGAN BRINGING THEM IN.THEY WOULD FIND THEM AFTER HAYING A FIELD,OR THE DOG KILLED THEIR MOM,OR OUT OF IGNORANCE FOUND THE NEST AND THOUGHT THEY WERE LEFT WITHOUT A MOTHER TO CARE FOR THEM. ONCE I DISSCUSSED WITH THEM WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO RAISE ONE ,THEY WOULD DEEM IT TOO MUCH TROUBLE AND ABANDON THEM. THAT IS WHEN I STEPPED UP TO CARE FOR THEM. THEY HAVE NICKNAMED ME THE RABBIT NANNY.I DO HAVE A LOT OF SUCCESS CARRING FOR THEM,BUT I WON’T LIE IT IS HARD AND YOU DO LOOSE SOME.HOWEVER,THE SATISFACTION I GET WHEN I GO TO RELEASE THEM BACK TO NATURE MAKES IT WORTHWHILE FOR ME.IT DOES SADDEN ME TO SEE THEM GO,BUT I KNOW I’VE DONE MY PART.
GOD DEAMED UP CARETAKERS OF THE ANIMALS AND I DO MY PART THE BEST I CAN.