If you find injured or orphaned wildlife:

• Call ARC for instructions or read the information provided in this site.
• If it is determined the animal needs assistance, then: Pick up the animal gently with gloves on;
• Place animal in a small box with soft cloth on the bottom. Secure lid and create ventilation.
• Place a heating pad set on "low" half way UNDER the box, or a plastic bottle filled with hot water and wrapped in a cloth IN the box;
• Place the box in a quiet, dark room. DO NOT give food or water.

Lots of baby rabbits are rescued unnecessarily. Chances are when you find a nest of bunnies, their mom is hiding nearby watching your every move. If you will leave the nest alone (or cover it back up if it's been disturbed), the mother rabbit will return that night to take care of her babies.

Remember that the only time the mother spends at the nest is the few minutes it takes to feed her babies. Unless you watch the nest continually all night long, you'll never see the mother returning to take care of them. By marking the nest with a BIG tic-tac-toe pattern in dental floss (or other material of the like), you can determine if the mother has returned to it. If the dental floss remains untouched after twenty-four hours, contact ARC.

Also remember that baby rabbits mature very quickly in the wild. Give them a week or two, and they're out of there. If you find a nest in the middle of your yard, just keep the kids and any animals away from it, let the grass grow for awhile, and let nature take it's course. Baby rabbits are notoriously difficult to keep alive in captivity, so their best chance for survival is in the wild, even if the circumstances are not ideal.

If you find a baby rabbit deposited on your doorstep, compliments of your dog or cat, the baby needs to be rescued. As with all small wildlife, wrap the baby in soft towels or and old t-shirt, put the baby in a box, and set the box halfway on a heating pad set on low. You do not need to feed it; just contact the ARC as soon as possible. They will care for the baby until it can be released back into the wild.

As fast as they are, dogs occasionally catch adult rabbits, with disastrous consequences for the rabbit, or they may survive being hit by a car, but be unable to move due to a back injury. Injured adult rabbits are usually fairly complacent, and can be easily rescued by scooping them up in a towel, then carefully laying them in a box. If the back is broken or the rabbit is dragging both back legs, it needs to be taken to a veterinarian for evaluation. The vet can then contact ARC for its continued care.

It is very important to cover the box containing the rabbit, and keep it in a quiet place until you can transport it to a licensed rehabilitator or a veterinarian. It is very stressful for rabbits to be in captivity. These are not like domestic bunnies people raise or receive on Easter. Transport them as quickly and quietly as possible for a successful rescue.  For more information, call ARC at (704) 552-2329.