Keeping our wildlife safe during the spring season

As the weather begins to shift into spring, wild animals are becoming more active and preparing to have this season’s babies. With this uprise in animal activity comes an increase in animals making their way through wildlife rehabilitation centers’ doors.

“I’ll say that last year and this year, baby animals started arriving really early. Then they had historically and that’s just because of the milder winters,” said Jessica LaBumbard, executive director of Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

With warmer weather, more people will be outside tending to their lawns and gardens, which are prime locations for animals such as bunnies to nest and leave their young.

“We can have bunny nests, and you’ll find bunny nests in your gardens or just in any, you know, spot in the yard. So, when it comes time to clear out those flower gardens or the food gardens, just be aware that there could be a bunny’s nest in there and watch out for the bunnies,” said LaBumbard.

Another common animal displacement comes when trees are trimmed or cut down, as they have to potential to house squirrel or bird nests. LaBumbard recommends checking for nests before trimming trees and calling a local rehabilitation center if a nest is found.

“You can call us, and we can talk about, you know, maybe what other options there might be, whether it be waiting to cut the tree later or if there’s a way to watch over the baby animals so that they don’t become separated from their parents,” said LaBumbard.

Keeping an eye on pets can also prevent potential accidents with wildlife.

“If you know that you have a bunny’s nest in the yard and you know that you have a dog, what we recommend is that you take a laundry basket and put it on top of the nest, put something heavy on top of that so that the dog can’t move the laundry basket, and make sure to keep the nest uncovered at dawn and dusk. That’s when the mother is going to come back. She’ll feed the babies early in the morning and again at night. So, she needs to have access to the nest,” said LaBumbard.

LaBumbard added the most important things to remember is to never bring a wild animal into a home as it is illegal, and to never feed a wild animal – especially a baby.

“I just can’t emphasize how important it is that you do not feed the animal or give it water because that can disrupt its system and it can send it into shock and cause death,” said LaBumbard.

If you do come across an animal that you suspect may be orphaned or injured, call Wildwoods at 218-491-3604.