Baby bunny rescue...adivce for clueless sucker?

[phylliebean]

Well, I hope this is the right section for this. If not, mods please feel free to move it. I'm kind of jumping right in, as I'm feeling totally clueless and well...impatient!

So, I was sitting in my office this morning and one of the guys at work walked in and handed me a little baby bunny. And...pretty much just walked out. :shock: I come to find out (no thanks to him!) that they found this little guy under a mobile home in our park (a campground in California). The stairs were being removed and there were 2 other babies under there. Those 2 ran off when the stairs came up, but this little guy just sat there. They couldn't leave him, so they grabbed him and I wound up with him. The trailer is going to be moved either tomorrow or Monday, so I can't put him back there (assuming that was where his nest originally was).

His eyes are fully open, the blaze on his forehead is gone, and if he wasn't scared I have a feeling that his ears would be up. I pulled the fur behind his ears and it didn't stay tented, so I guess he's well nourished. It seems like he's old enough to be away from the nest, but maybe is returning at night. I honestly don't know anything about bunnies besides what I've read online today. I just checked those few things, and now I'm at a loss.

Should I let him loose in some bushes? Put him under another trailer? Feed him, water him? I'm worried that if I put him back out he'll either try to return to the trailer and get squished when they move it or he'll just sit around and do nothing, like he has been doing, and meet another horrible fate. I can keep him over the weekend and put him back after the trailer is moved, but I need some advice on how to care for him at home I guess. I talked to my brother a minute ago and told him about it. My niece's birthday is this Sunday and we thought she might like to raise him as a pet. Would that even be possible? He has to check with his wife beforeI'll even know if they'll take him though.

Any and all advice is GREATLY appreciated, as I'm just flying by the seat of my pants here!

ETA:

So you can get an idea of how big he is. Sorry, not the best pictures, I had to take them with my phone.

And taken just a couple minutes ago. He's now quite calm and is taking a nap in my lap!

 

[BlueGiants]

Being as he is a wild rabbit, I'd find a place near by the trailer (but not under it) and leave him to find his mother. I don't know what the laws are in California, but around here (New York), it's against the law to possess a wild rabbit... even with the best intentions... unless you are a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Your smell will not deter the mom from taking him back. (She'll just clean him up so he smells better!)

 

[PixieStixxxx]

Do you have a picture of the rabbit... it'll help determine if this rabbit is a naturally wild breed, or a domestic breed that someone had released into the wild and how old it might be?

If this is a domestic breed, I'd keep the little guy If it is a wild breed, wild animals who are in human care for 48 usually become imprinted.

Right now, I'd hold off on giving the rabbit to your neice. Rabbits have delicate bones - if they so much as kick out, they can break their backs . They're not usually ones to be cuddled all day long.

And that's great of your to help out this little guy. I'm in the same position with a rat... two days ago, I had to pull a rat from a shelter and I have no idea how to care for one. I've been on a rat forum taking endless notes!

Edit, you put the pic up!:

He looks like a wild breed a rabbit. I'd return him.. maybe not under the trailer if you think he'll get squished.. but in the area where you know mom will find him?

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

He looks a lot like chevy now chevy is older but he has the same coloring.

This ischevy he is a darf of some sort. They do look somewhat alike.

That all i have never really had baby bunny brfor

 

[tonyshuman]

Yeah, that's definitely a wild rabbit. Wild rabbits are also really hard to keep--there are a few on this forum that were injured and couldn't be released, so they have become a bit tamer as pets, but not only is it illegal without a permit, wild bunnies will always be "wild" at heart.

Here's a quote on wild rabbits from a wildlife rescue in the LA area (not sure where you are):
"Rabbits If you find healthy bunnies that are four to five inches long, able to hop, with eyes open and ears up, they do not need help. They are able to survive on their own. If you find a very small (three to four inches long) uninjured rabbit, put it back where you found it and leave it undisturbed for several hours. If the nest has been damaged, it can be repaired. Look for a shallow depression lined with grass. Place babies in nest with light layers of grass to hide them. Leave the area or the mother will not return. Mothers return only at dawn and dusk. The parents will likely come back and reclaim the "orphan." If the animal is injured or truly abandoned (mother seen dead, the nest is bulldozed, etc.) Or if dogs, cats or people are a real threat, put the animal in a small, closed, ventilated box on a warm towel and keep it in a quiet area. Don't feed or handle the rabbit as it can die easily from stress. Bring the rabbit to a wildlife center as quickly and quietly as possible." (http://www.californiawildlifecenter.org/emergency/index.htm)

Here's a way to find a rescue in your area: http://www.google.com/search?q=california+wildlife+rescue

Finally, if this little guy has made an impression on you (and I bet he has!! what a real cutie!), you can always look around for a domestic bunny shelter to adopt from! There are several great ones in California, the one coming first to mind is The Rabbit Haven, which truly does great work! http://www.therabbithaven.org/

 

[phylliebean]

Thanks for all the advice so far guys! Keep it coming!

I'm sure he probaby is a wild breed as there are tons of bunnies around here. We're in the middle of the desert, along the Colorado River. About 5 hours from LA. We have tons of bunnies, donkeys, coyotes and bob cats. Oh and snakes, but I won't be rescuing any of those any time soon!

A couple of other people at my regular forums (non bunny related)have suggested I put him back outside too, which is probably what will wind up happening. I'm just concerned because he doesn't move! He just sat there when they moved the stairs off the trailer and he's just been sitting here in my lap and my hand. We've wandered all around the office, gone to the bathroom, gotten 2 soda refills, and even gone outside for a smoke. He's just been chillin' the whole time. I thought he might try to take a leap or something when we went outside, but he just sat and watched what was going on.We set him in the grass earlier and he just sat and hung out then too. So I'm concerned about putting him back outside becauseI don't want him to just sit there and wait to get squished or eaten. He's been so tame, I just don't have the heart!

Since putting him back under the trailer isn't an option, where should he go so his mommy can find him?Would I be able to keep him over the weekend andbring him back and have his mommy still be able to track him down?

I had the idea about my neice because they had a wild rabbit as a pet a while back. That rabbit was fully grown when they took him in and they didn't really have any issues withhim. Ifigured this little guy is so young, it would be an easy transition. She has arat at her mother's (the bunny would be going to Daddy's)that she's had for a couple years. She's 8 years old, so is old enough to learn how to properly care for a pet. But like I said, I don't know anything about them, so I'm just throwing ideas out here. It's justhis calm manner that's making me hesitant to release him right now, ya know?

 

[PixieStixxxx]

If he's not moving, is anything broken? Rabbits hide their pain because they are prey animals.

They rabbit might become imprinted and depend on you for food since it is so young. Is there some way that you could bring him to a wildlife rehabilitor who can determine if anything is broken, or maybe bring him to a rescue or a sanctuary?

I'm starting to think that if you release him, he won't live much longer after that

 

[bat42072]

wild rabbits belong in the wild... I wouldn't wait too long before putting him back.. put him close to where he was found...

 

[BlueGiants]

He probably isn't weaned yet. Anything you try to feed him will only cause problems with his digestion. See if you can figure out where his siblings might hide and put him in a safe place. His mother won't come around during the day.

Sitting motionless is a defense mechanism. That is how they avoid attracting the attention of preditors. The doe will feed them early in the day, clean up any droppings, and leave them. They sit still ALL DAY until she returns in the evening. They wean at 4 weeks in the wild. So he might be close. But I think he has a better chance with his mother than with a child as a pet.

 

[phylliebean]

PixieStixxxx wrote:

If he's not moving, is anything broken? Rabbits hide their pain because they are prey animals.

They rabbit might become imprinted and depend on you for food since it is so young. Is there some way that you could bring him to a wildlife rehabilitor who can determine if anything is broken, or maybe bring him to a rescue or a sanctuary?

I'm starting to think that if you release him, he won't live much longer after that

I don't think anything is broken. I picked him up under the arms at one point, and his little back legs were wiggling around. And when he fell asleep in my lap, he sprawled both his front legs out on me. I keep having the same thought as you, that if I let him go he may not live long, he's so timid. I'm sure it's the right thing to do, but something in the back of my mind is saying there's a better option.

I'm looking up sanctuaries now. This is a really small town, so I doubt there's anything immediately near. We have just one vet, everything else is at least an hour away. However, I'm going to Las Vegas this weekend and I might be able to find something there.

Should I give him any food or water in the meantime? Justuntil I can figure out what to do here.

Sitting motionless is a defense mechanism. That is how they avoid attracting the attention of preditors. The doe will feed them early in the day, clean up any droppings, and leave them. They sit still ALL DAY until she returns in the evening. They wean at 4 weeks in the wild. So he might be close. But I think he has a better chance with his mother than with a child as a pet.

Gotcha. That makes sense. Why do you suppose he just sat there when his siblings ran away though? It just seems weird to me.

 

[aurora369]

He might be the only survivor of his litter if he was all alone. Or he wandered off from his siblings and got scared and was waiting for dark to go back to find them.

Best bet is to find a nice bush by the trailer and leave him there.

--Dawn

 

[phylliebean]

Well, he's definitely going to go back outside, I just have to figure out where. His siblings ran down the hill when we first found them, so I might put him under one of the trailers over there. I'm going to look around and see if there's a nest near any of the trees or bushes there first. The bushes are pretty sparse though, not sure if they would be enough cover.

How can I be sure that his mother will find him again?

 

[naturestee]

You can give him a small water bowl and some fresh grass and dandelions for now. If he starts munching on them, he might be old enough to release on his own.

Ra7751 is a wildlife rehabilitator and I remember him mentioning that wild babies get real spunky around the time when their moms would be done weaning them. That's usually when they need to get released back into the wild. Maybe the reason he's so calm is because he hasn't reached that stage yet? Maybe he's developing a little more slowly than the two siblings that ran away.

 

[juliew19673]

Any update on the wild baby bunny? Curious if you found his litter mates..

 

[phylliebean]

Well, I couldn't find anything that looked like a nest yesterday. I went through all the bushes around the trailer, so I'm guessing it's like I suspected and the nest was actually under the stairs. I put him under this bush/tree thingy near the trailer, but not directly next to it, at about 4 yesterday. He nuzzled his nose up to the trunk and curled up in a ball and sat there. I checked again at about 4:30, when I left work, and he was still sitting there like that. I decided to leave him be and hope for the best.

I checked again this morning when I got to work and he was gone from the spot. However, I heard that the guys found him under the trailer again this morning. I haven't talked to the guys who found him though. So I don't know if he ran off or if they put him somewhere else. It doesn't look like they're going to be moving it today though, so hopefully his mother found him, or will find him, and is working on a new nest to move them to.

If I hear anyting else, I will let you guys know. Thanks for all the advice I got yesterday! It was a great help!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

I really hope the little baby is back with his mama! He was so cute and sweet. I hope nothing bad happens to him... Thanks for the update, are you going to get to talk to the people who found him earlier today? Sweet little baby went back to where his nest was... He must be feeling pretty alone and confused :tears2:

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Awww I don't think he's an EASTERN cottontail but probably a Western which is what Hazels_Mom has.

Having a cottontail myself, I fully recommend that when you find them like that - leave them be or just move them to another place nearby if it's absolutely necessary.

Clover is a doll but she's still a bit wild. I wish her leg had allowed for her to be a normal bunny but for some reason I was blessed with her also. Maybe I think it's so I can educate others are the wild ones..... I don't know... but I'm so glad you came here, and shared his pictures. How precious!

 

[edwinf8936]

I have had several rabbit nest in my backyard and they are very hard to see even when you know where they are. Same for the babies, they blend in real well. I have had several wild babies that were injured brought to me. Sorry to say, none of them lived. One was rather a larger baby and the vet stitched up shere the fur was torn from a cat. She thoughtit would be okay, but died that night, must have had internal injuries. Give it some powdered milk. it looks like about 4 weeks old. I have watched two grow up and move on. Letting it go is taking a chance since just as keeping it is. They only feed twice a day. No greens until it is agout 8 weeks, keep it comfortable and don't handle too much.



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