This past weekend I was cleaning in the kitchen and glanced out the window to see two bunnies hopping around at the very back of our yard. It isn't the first time we have had bunnies in our backyard as we have seen them pretty much every spring.
Bunnies circa spring 2009
My first thought was 'OMG bunnies!!! Wait NOOOOO what if there is a nest. WHAT ABOUT MY GARDEN (that isn't built/planted yet)???'. I walked back to where the bunnies were and I was able to get very close before they hopped away. That is when I saw it. A tiny nest with a furless bunny inside. It was tiny and was probably recently birthed. I so wanted to pick it up and love it but I knew that was the opposite of what I should do. Unlike 2009 when this happened.
I can't believe I let him pick it up but yet thought to ensure he put gloves on. 2012 Jen is so much smarter than 2009 Jen.
If you find that you have bunnies in your yard here are some do's and don'ts to ensure that you do not have an impact on their survival rate.
Do
* Make sure your pets do not disturb the nest however if you find they have then rebuild it close to the original nest. Use grasses and straw to help rebuild it.
Don't
* Don't feed them!! This means the babies AND the parents.
Mom's come back to feed their babies in the evening and early morning. They only need to eat their Mom's milk for 5 minutes a day to be full! If you notice that the Mom is not coming back each morning and night to feed the babies (they will do this for the first month or so) you can check on the babies. There are ways to determine if they are dehydrated the best being to pinch the skin on the back of their neck. If it stays pinched then they need immediate medical help for dehydration. Call your local Wildlife Rescue or a rabbit vet.
After about 5 weeks the babies will be off to explore on their own and hey who knows maybe they will be back next year with the neighbour bunnies to make new babies in your yard! (That is the theory we are going with for the new babies...that the Mom and Dad are totally from our 2009 baby bunnies).
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