Rabbits

Baby Rabbits:

If you come across a nest of bunnies in the wild and the mother is nowhere to be seen, please DO NOT disturb them. This is normal since the mother only returns to the babies to feed them at dawn and dusk, otherwise they are alone. By removing them from the nest you are greatly reducing their chances of survival.

Rabbits are independent animals, not orphans, if they are:

• More than four inches long
• Have full fur, open eyes, and erect ears (size of tennis ball when crouching)

Rabbit nests are usually found in a shallow, fur lined depression in the grass. If you come upon furless young who are out of the nest, return them to the nest. Reform the nest if it has been destroyed; cover the young rabbits with loose grass, and then sprinkle flour around the nest area.

Female rabbits only feed their babies at dawn and dusk, so you are unlikely to see the mother return. If she returns, you will see her entry and exit tracks left in the flour around the nest. If the flour remains undisturbed and the baby rabbits’ abdomens appear sunken the next day, then the mother has not returned to feed them, and you should contact a rehabilitator. Young rabbits easily succumb to stress, so handle them only as a last resort.

• Put the rabbit in a closed escape-proof container with a soft ravel-free cloth.
• If the eyes are closed, it will require a small amount of heat. You may put the box half on and half off a heating pad set on low. Monitor it so it does not get too hot, the rabbit should feel warm, but not hot to the touch. Older rabbits will not require heat.
• Cover the box with a towel, and put it in a quiet place away from children and pets.
• Do not attempt to feed baby bunnies. They have very sensitive digestive systems and need special formula.

Adult Rabbits:

We often get calls for injured rabbits. Generally they have been hit by a car, cat caught or hawk caught. Many of these are successfully treated and released back into the wild.

• If you find an injured rabbit, pick it up using a towel and contain it in a box with a soft cloth in a quiet place away from children or other animals. Rabbits are easily stressed and can die from stress easily.
• It is important to keep the adult rabbit as calm as possible to reduce a potentially fatal side-effect of stress.  When transporting the animal, please keep the radio in the vehicle off and avoid talking as much as possible.

If you have found a wild animal that appears to be sick, injured, abandoned or in danger...
Please call our emergency hotline number: 310.458.WILD [9453]!