What to Do If You Find a Baby Animal by Jenn Morson
Recently, I was taking a walk around my neighborhood when a baby squirrel fell out of a tree, brushing against me on her way to the ground. Panic-stricken, I called a friend who did a quick online search to help me find out what I should do. After a few attempts to reunite the baby with its mother, I reached out to Frisky’s Wildlife & Primate Sanctuary at the suggestion of someone in the Annapolis Moms Facebook group. Colleen Layton-Robbins and her husband have run Frisky’s for many years, taking in injured wildlife from around Anne Arundel County. I made my way to Frisky’s with the baby squirrel in a shoebox, and Colleen was waiting for me at the door when I arrived. She asked if I had fed or handled the squirrel - I had not. These types of questions are important, because the goal is to rehabilitate these animals back into their natural habitat. “Some people think they’re doing the right thing by giving milk or formula,” Layton-Robins says, “But [the] baby can’t metabolize that properly.” Layton-Robbins adds that it’s important to remember that people should not hug any wild animal they find. “They all have internal and external parasites,” she says. “Leave it to the people with experience and licenses to properly handle them.”
Baby squirrel that fell on me! Photo courtesy of Jenn Morson
According to Mary Schimpf, who runs Crab Alley Wildlife Sanctuary in Chester, the first step in helping any baby animals you find is to give the mother a chance to come back. For squirrels, Schimpf says, “Use gloves [for your own safety], put the baby squirrel in a box at the base of the tree. If it’s out in full sun, don’t wait more than a few hours, but otherwise, you can give mom a chance until dusk.” Schimpf says that there’s even a recording on YouTube of baby squirrels crying that people can use to When it comes to fawns, both rehabilitators note that the babies are left alone by design. “Deer don’t have their babies in the woods because of foxes, so your yard may become a sanctuary,” Layton-Robbins says. “And once the mom has cleaned up her baby and nursed him, they leave their scent around a perimeter for the baby to remain.” Naturally, people are enamored with baby deer and want to get close or take pictures, but the rehabilitators caution against getting too close. “All cameras have a zoom lens,” Layton-Robbins says. “And, if you don’t see any wounds or flies, leave that baby alone.” help entice the mom back. If You Find a Baby Deer
Photo courtesy of Duffy Perkins
SUMMER 2024 | 29
Powered by FlippingBook