I Found A Baby, Now What?!?!??!?
What to do if you “found” a baby
There it is, all alone, tiny, peeping, cheeping, whining, crying, or even silent. A tiny creature that looks abandoned, starving, and lonely….but is it? Is it really? Are you sure????
The simple truth of the matter is, they are not always in need of rescue. If you’re not 100% sure that precious little bird is alone in this world, go back to blog #2 and take the steps required to figure out if this baby is abandoned, or simply moving through the steps that are part of its life.
If you’ve already read that, and you’re still unsure, simply give a call and shoot us a picture of the little imp, and we can help you figure it out.
Assuming your have been through the proper steps, and determined that yes, you do have an orphan, lets get it safe and secured so it can go to the proper rehabilitation facility, and get the care it needs.
The first step is to get the critter into something warm and dark. A cardboard box works very well for most birds and mammals. Pick the baby up very gently, using a towel or tee shirt. You can then place it gently in the box, and close the lid.
Don’t worry about poking holes. Most boxes are not even close to air tight, and the holes give those babies a convenient starting point to escape through. I have had multiple hawks and owls enlarge a small opening in a cardboard box and the squeeze out of it.
Believe me when I say, the last thing you want when you’re driving that great horned owl to a rehab facility, is to have it escape in your car!!! Interesting side note, birds of prey are fairly fastidious about their nests, and babies are trained to sort of “shoot a poop” out over the side to help keep it clean. When baby birds of prey are in a box with a hole in it, they aim for those holes you so kindly made, with great accuracy. If you have never had to clean up hawk or owl poop, you can not begin to imagine the horrendous smell their poop has. I mean, their food doesn’t smell great before they digest it! And it leaves some pretty impressive stains that are next door to impossible to remove.
Just trust me when I say- don’t make holes
Also, don’t use a towel or a shirt that you want back. They are going to poop on it, and maybe tear at it or chew on it, depending on the critter, of course. Use something old, but without loose threads for them to get tangled up in. I have had birds lose their legs because they got caught up in some threads on a towel, and then twisted it all up in a panic. Not pretty. Shredded paper towels work great too.
Ok. Now you have the little imp closed up in a box with some sort of bedding. If you have a heating pad, put it on low, OUTSIDE and under half of the box only. This way, if the critter gets too warm, it can move off of the heating pad. Bring it inside, to a safe spot where you dog or cat can not get to it.
DO NOT FEED IT
DO NOT WATER IT
Now, go make some phone calls to see if you can find a facility that can take it. Once you get a pro on the phone, you can discuss getting it to their care, and whether you should feed it before taking it to them. Most will say not to if it is going to be a short time, because it is so easy to aspirate a baby, which can result in pneumonia or death.
Now get that baby to them ASAP. Congrats on a great save!
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