How fitting that our theme this month is rabbits. My husband, David, was out working in our front yard recently when he heard earsplitting screams and turned to see six baby rabbits pop up out of the grass and scatter. He had come too close to their nest in the ground and mama rabbit was nowhere to be found. It seems rabbits do not stay with their young like other species, but visit the nest in the early morning and at night to nurse them.

In a panic, David called for me to try and retrieve the babies, but we could only find two.  We gently put them by a downed tree, not far from the nest, and per the instructions I pulled off the Internet, left them alone in the hopes that they’d reunite with their siblings or that mama rabbit would find them. David obsessed all day long, feeling terrible and feeling convinced that the bunnies wouldn’t survive, but they did.

Interestingly, rabbits begin exploring the big, bad world at just a few weeks of age and are capable of surviving on their own while still the size of a chipmunk! We checked on them the next morning and the bunnies had left the log. So, we found the small hole in the ground where they popped out and sure enough, there were multiple babies in and around the opening. Following those Internet instructions, we put grassing clippings around the hole to give them more cover and backed away, leaving them to it. Yes, they are tiny and adorable and we worried about the heavy rains that day, hawks in the area, and a neighbor dog who is relentless in chasing rabbits, but all of those hazards existed before we found them, too.

Now, I’m far more educated regarding kittens and puppies and know that they’re still nursing and more dependent on mom at this young age than the bunnies are. I’ve bottle-fed orphaned kittens and cried when they were separated from mom at 8 weeks of age so they could be adopted. But, these bunnies are wildlife, not domesticated animals who rely on people. We’ve lived here in Black Forest for almost 24 years and an awful lot of mamas and babies have managed to survive just fine without us knowing they were out there.

If you come across a nest of baby bunnies or baby anything, please be sure to respect nature and do not try to make pets of these animals. Check online for instructions, such as https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Care-for-a-Wild-Rabbit-Nest/, obtain a list of trained wildlife rehabilitators who can help if need be, or check to see which veterinarians in your area are trained to help injured wild animals. If the babies aren’t injured, then leave them in their natural setting.  Unlike some species, mama rabbits will still return to their young even if they have been handled by humans, but that is not the case with all critters, so check before you touch whenever possible.