Baby Bunny Nest in the Yard

[CraftyBastard]

Hey, everyone. Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I know there are a lot of experts on various topics here and I could use some advice.

So I dug out the hrududil to mow the grass, and in the middle of the lawn I saw what looked like a bird's nest that had fallen out of a tree: A mass of long-bladed grass forming a vaguely circular shape. I went to pick it up and toss it in the yard waste bin, but in a shallow hole underneath I found three squirming fuzzy baby bunnies. They had fur but their little eyes weren't open yet. One of them managed to scramble out of the hole and out of instinct I scooped him up and put him back in.

I covered them up again and gave them a wide berth with the mower, but the damage is done. Now I'm concerned that the mother will sense I've disturbed the nest, and abandon them. I was wearing gloves but I'm sure they still smelled of human, with a possible trace odor of gasoline. I really don't want the babies to die because of me. Is there anything I can do for them?

Thanks...

[AnaKhouri]

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm...rticles_id=426

"The myth about human scent causing abandonment is also untrue for most other animals, including mammals."

Generally, animals will not abandon their babies just because they smell people on them. I would not fret about it, personally.

[CraftyBastard]

Thanks, they're doing fine, so mom must still be visiting. Their eyes are open and they should start exploring the world in the next few days. Hopefully they stay out of the street.

[Monterey Jack]

Nice Watership Down reference.

[Jetfire]

FYI, this video was doing the rounds on facebook earlier this spring.

Basically, leave it alone and they'll grow big enough and move on within a few weeks and should be fine.

For prey species especially (ranging from the bunnies to the deer), the mothers often leave the babies hidden while they go eat, and only return to the youngones to feed them. The babies tend to be quiet and hidden, and the mother avoids attracting attention to the babies by hovering near them.

[Pixelated]

I was thinking of that video when I read the OP. Glad to see you posted it. Now I'm wandering around the yard here looking for little circular patches of dead grass. Haven't found any, alas.

[Food Lady]

Awwww. My friend had the same situation and her dog would rescue the bunnies from the neighborhood hawk. Now she has kept one of them and that bunny is best friends forever with the dog. They even play hide and seek. It's so cute!

[Mental_Mouse]

Be warned that if you or your neighbors have gardens, the buns will do a lot of damage. If you try taking one of them into your home, they will do even more damage....

Also... be aware that your cute baby bunnies will not necessarily survive to adulthood, what with "outdoor" or feral cats, dogs, and whatever local wildlife you've got. Even if you're in a city or town, you probably have coyotes and/or raccoons around. (You don't generally see those because they don't want you to see them.)

[apocolypse101]

Be warned that if you or your neighbors have gardens, the buns will do a lot of damage. If you try taking one of them into your home, they will do even more damage....

That's definitely true. We have quite a few rabbits around where I live and they utterly devoured our zucchini plants.