A rabbit tale

[Gonzai]

Ok, so my son's girlfriend's dog dug up a rabbit's nest in my backyard.
3 baby bunnies popped out of the nest, and 2 promptly ran for cover.
The 3rd, which I assume was the runt of the litter, could barely hop
or even walk in the high grass, so I took him in, cause everything I had
ever heard about wild rabbits is that is a dog digs up the nest, the mother
will abandon the baies.

So, I have this baby rabbit, and I feed it cat's milk that I got from the
store, as well as clover from the back yard and grass and dandelions.
The little guy gets much stronger, and starts acting like a wild rabbit
should act - wild!! So, I look it up on the Ineternet, and find that it is
time to re-introduce my litle guy back into the wild - as close to the
spot where he was dug up as possible.

So yesterday, my granddaughters and I take the little baby and put him
right by the spot that he was dug up, and sure enough, this time he
scampered away as fast as he could. Yay, I was so proud of the good
work we had done at taking care of this little guy and getting him back
to where he belonged.

End of story, right?? Not so fast. After letting the little guy go, we
went about out day as usual. The girls played outside and I cleaned
the house. Then my son took them to the park, and I headed across
the river to pick up my son's girlfriend and give her a ride back. We
pull up outside, and come in the back way, and guess who it sitting
on my deck waiting for us. The baby rabbit. @_@

I walked up to him and kind of poked at him thinking he would run off,
but oh no, instead he jumps into my hand and snuggles up. I was like
what the hell. If you release a rabbit bak into the wild it doesn't come back
does it?? Is that even heard of?? >_< Anyway, I took him back in, where he
ate like he was starving, and now is content and happy as hell. -_-

What now?? I really don't want to try and raise a wild rabbit. #_#

[moonrabitt]

That's the cutest story I have heard. He surely seems to love you I had a bunny but a cat killed it, so Im not sure how to deal with bunnies

[graymouser]

Its probably best to keep him or find/consult with a wildlife rescue group. Some states have laws regarding keeping wildlife; even hares and rabbits. If he has been with you for a while, he might not have the survival skills he needs to last long on his own.

It sounds like he has no fear of humans. This can be very hard to avoid. Your hare reminds me of when I worked with a raptor (owls, eagles, hawks) rescue group. We had to take great care that the babies never saw us. They were always fed by hand puppets that looked like the proper species. They were then carefully trained how to hunt and catch prey. Even then, some still could not be released. At one time we had a pigmy owl that was left with us because it was imprinted on people. As an adult he had become territorial and very aggressive towards people. Anyone going into his flight cage had to wear a helmet with a clear faceplate since he knew to go straight for the eyes. Oddly enough, when removed from his cage he was fine. He was just that way when he was on what he considered to be his own turf and had no fear of humans. He was trained to the fist like a falcon (hood, leather glove, jesses, etc) so he could be used as a demonstration bird for educational purposes. Once he broke out of his cage and vanished. We eventually received a call from a local library. Apparently they put a filing cabinet outside while doing some interior work. The owl decided to make it his new home and would attack anyone who came near it. We went out there with our falconry equipment and food (and helmet). We figured he would be pretty hungry since he did not know how to hunt on his own. Sure enough he was easy to catch this way.

Anyways like I said before, you may want to talk to a wildlife rescue group in your area. They will be able to ID the species and approximate age. They should then be able to give you some good advice about your alternatives.

[Gonzai]

I have tried to get in contact with a couple groups in the area, but am
waiting for a return call. I am hoping they can come and take him and
set him free somewhere where he will be safe.

Tonight he was waiting in his box when I returned from work, and he
acted so happy to see me. He nibbled on my fingers and snuggled up
next to me and fell asleep. I try to handle him as little as possible,
but frankly, I seriously think he thinks I am his momma. >_<

[zerospace]

I don't know if she's still around, lurking, but misa used to be involved with rabbit rescues here in CA. Perhaps she could help, if you can contact her. I probably have an email address somewhere, but it's been awhile since I last talked to her.

[Drac of the Sharp Smiles]

The problem is that the rabbit hasn't been taught how to survive in the wild. That's why it came back to where it knew where it had previously gotten food and why it was ravenous...... because, despite being surrounded by things it *could* eat, it didn't know how to find them. It's not really a wild rabbit anymore and doesn't know how to take care of itself. Additionally, this rabbit now has no fear of humans, which is something it needs survive in the wild. This is the reason most states in the US have laws that prohibit people who are not licenced wildlife rehabilitators from raising orphaned wildlife in their homes. The average person doesn't know what a wild rabbit needs to know to be a rabbit. Most people go on assumptions or random things heard from sources (like the infamous "THEY" who seems to say a lot of things) that may or may not know either.

Most people want to "do the right thing", which is awesome! However, the right thing to do, in the case of wild babies of some kind, is almost always to step back and let nature take care of itself. Obviously, YES, bring the dog in the house.... or YES, move the baby-whatever off of hot blacktop or out of immediate harm's way. Also remember, if a wild animal is definitely injured to the point that it will die but just hasn't yet, many veterinarians will euthanize it for free. (But great caution should be taken when handling wild animals! Most of the time, it's better to NOT handle it and to contact local animal control.) Never forget that for nature to benefit from human interaction, the human doing the interacting has to really know their stuff. With baby anythings, that means a licenced wildlife rehabilitator.

That all said..... For those who have wild bunnies and dogs in the same yard (which is insanely common), a few facts:

-- Mom will NOT abandon the babies, even though you or your dog has disturbed or destroyed her nest.
-- If your dog destroys a nest, the best thing to do is carefully reassemble the nest with as much of the original material as you can find. Your scent will not keep her from returning.
-- Obviously, staying clear of and keeping your dog away from the nest/den is ideal.
-- You can move the nest up to 5-10 feet, if necessary, if there's a safer location for it.
-- Don't worry that you never seem to see mom. Mom bunnies nurse their babies for about 5 minutes (yes, MINUTES) per day, usually in the middle of the night when you're sleeping and not there to see her. Babies are often left unattended for long periods.
-- Don't worry if they're suddenly gone, as Mom might move the babies. (Solving your problem. ^_^)
-- Happy wild baby bunnies are quiet with fat little tummies. If the babies are crying a lot and thin, Mom might have had an unfortunate accident somewhere and NOW you should call wildlife rehabilitators.

[Gonzai]

Yes - I agree with Drac. I would have never done anything with the baby
had it not been for my son's girlfriend picking him up right away, and then
Rich saying that the mom would eat the bunnie if she smelled human on it.

I do think that the baby was injured from the dog digging the nest up, however,
if I had to do it all again, I would have done exactly what Drac said and let
nature run its course.

Today I came home and found the little bunny sick in the box I had made for him.
Even though there was lots of water, clover, dandelion and grass for him, I did not have
a clue how to raise this little guy, and he died just about an hour ago.

Maybe the same thing would have happened had I left him alone, bu then again,
maybe his momma would have came back and got him and he would be ok now.
Either way, I would not be sitting here blaming myself for not being able to save
the little guy.

[Drac of the Sharp Smiles]

Don't blame yourself, Gonzai. It's a REALLY REALLY common situation. I wish I could spread the word more.... Generally speaking, mother animals won't abandon, attack, shun, or eat their babies simply because a predator came near the nest. If you stop to think about it, predators come near prey animal nests/babies ALL THE TIME. Wild Moms fend off attackers ALL THE TIME. Heck, when a robin made a nest in my holly bush, I got almost divebombed by mom every time I tried to sneak up the stairs to my door for at least a week before she grudgingly got used to me. Then she still pip pipped angrily at me. ^_^ There would be no baby animals left if they all were killed simply because a predator came within ten feet of them.

If he did get injured, it's very possible a lingering infection was the cause. In which case, Mom couldn't have done anything either.

[sensei]

I'm reminded of a very sad scene in the series Someday's Dreamers aka "What is important to a mage." Yume, the main character, goes through a "dark night of the soul" when she realizes that the magic she is learning to channel will not solve the social problems she is experiencing in life. In the middle of her depression, she happens on a sick kitten, which she tries to comfort as best she can, but, to her despair, it dies anyway.

Later she encounters a friend, to whom she tells her story. The friend thinks for a moment, then says, "Perhaps the animal chose you as the one to be present at its passing. That could have could have been its way of honoring you."

I forget most of the rest of this series, but I remember that moment. I can't believe that life, at any level, is random and meaningless, and so the moment of death is always a solemn affair, one that should not happen alone and in secret, in some clump of leaves and twigs. And so perhaps the rabbit instinctively sensed this (I agree with Drac that whatever ailed it probably could not have been treated medically) and trusted you to handle the moment with dignity.

It is a heartbreaking honor, but an honor nonetheless. I can't see that you've done anything amiss in this whole affair.