I Found a Baby Animal: What Should I Do?

Spring is baby season, and finding a young animal alone can be distressing. Our instinct is to help, but often, “helping” does more harm than good. Many baby animals are intentionally left alone by their mothers for protection.

1. Baby Deer (Fawns)

• Scenario: You find a fawn curled up in the grass, perfectly still, with no mother in sight.
• Reality: Leave it alone. Mother deer leave their fawns hidden for hours while they forage to avoid drawing predators to the baby. The fawn is safe and waiting for mom to return at dusk.
• When to Help: If the fawn is wandering, crying incessantly, or visibly injured/covered in ants.

2. Baby Birds (Fledglings)

• Scenario: A feathery bird is hopping on the ground but can’t fly.
• Reality: This is a fledgling. It has left the nest and is learning to fly. The parents are nearby watching and feeding it. Put it back in a bush if there are cats nearby, but otherwise, leave it.
• Nestlings: If the bird is naked (no feathers), it fell out of the nest. You CAN put it back. The myth that “mother birds smell humans and will reject the baby” is false. Birds have a terrible sense of smell.

3. Baby Rabbits

• Scenario: You find a nest of bunnies in the middle of your lawn.
• Reality: Mother rabbits only visit the nest twice a day (dawn and dusk) to nurse. This keeps predators away. If the bunnies look plump and are covered with fur/grass, they are fine.

4. Baby Raccoons/Squirrels

• Scenario: A baby raccoon follows you or is crying on the ground.
• Reality: This usually indicates trouble. If the mother has been trapped or killed, the babies will wander out of the den seeking food.
• Action: Do not handle them (risk of rabies/bites). Call a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator. HWCS handles nuisance removal, but we can refer you to rehabbers for orphaned wildlife.

Rule of Thumb: If it has fur/feathers and is quiet/alert, leave it be. If it is cold, crying, injured, or attacked, call a professional.