Commentary—

Helping Nature’s Wayward Newborns

By Toni Jean Baranowski

It’s that time of year again, when homeowners come upon newborn wild babies (fawn, squirrels, birds, ducklings, goslings, possums, raccoons, etc) in their yards and gardens. I’ve been a wildlife rehabilitator for 20 years in Newtown, and I’m afraid to say that more than 75 percent of the cases of newborn animals brought to rehabilitators each year could be avoided if the homeowner took the correct and immediate action.

This intervention can mean getting an immature baby back to its mother safely without any harm being done. Unfortunately though, a well-meaning and concerned child or homeowner could result in just the opposite outcome for handling a situation the wrong way.

Each species has its own limits of human “interference” that it will tolerate. For example, birds do not really have a sense of smell, so the old myth of not handling a bird because the mother will not take it back due to the smell of a human hand is just not true. The quicker a bird is lifted off the ground and placed either back in its nest or a handmade equivalent (small, naturally woven hanging basket or planter), the quicker the mother will return to take care of it. Of course, the use of garden gloves is always encouraged. The same intervention practices can usually be used for the thousands of squirrels that fall out of their nests each year. As long as the baby is in a container that is at least a few feet off the ground, the mother will do everything in her power to retrieve it.

Please take a few minutes before cutting long grasses down around the perimeter of your yard to look for rabbits’ nests. They are concealed in a very shallow depression in dense grass. The mother will not tolerate them being moved so please be patient and they will be gone within two to three weeks.

Last, but certainly not least during this time of the year. is the problem with fawns being removed by well-meaning people. As the picture accurately shows, a doe knows exactly what she is doing when she chooses to leave her fawn unattended while feeding during the day. She may not return for four or five hours, or longer, after choosing an appropriate spot. The fawns have no odor during the first few days of life and will naturally stay absolutely still. Their natural camouflage does the rest. Under no circumstances should fawn be picked up and moved, unless a dead doe is discovered nearby.

I hope this information helps homeowners become more informed and that the amount of orphaned “babies” this year might be reduced. Thanks for being such concerned neighbors.

(Toni Jean Baranowski has worked in the Newtown school system for the past 14 years, most recently as executive secretary at Head O’ Meadow School.)