Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Wild Baby Bunny

A gentleman that had purchased a bunny for his daughter stopped by the other day. He had a newborn baby bunny with him. A wild newborn baby bunny. They had been mowing and found it. They left it all day to see if the mom came back for it but the next morning it was still there alone. He asked if I thought I could save it. He also knew that it was a 1 in 100 chance of it surviving. Just so happened I had a bunny with day old babies. I took the tiny thing and rubbed its body with each of her babies so it would have their scent and then put it in the nest with them. William thought she would kill it. I thought she might take it out of the nest and reject it. She came to the nest sniffed around and covered the babies with her fur. I checked that night and the wild baby was snuggled down with the others doing fine. Next morning it was still doing great. That afternoon it was hot and momma bunny had taken the wild baby and one of hers and put them in a nest together and the other 3 in a nest together so they wouldn't get too hot. Babies doing fine. Last night it started raining so momma bunny put all the babies in one nest, covered them with fur and they stayed warm and dry. Momma bunny is nursing the wild bunny with her babies. They all are fat and happy. The wild bunny is of course smaller than our babies but its doing great and momma bunny has accepted it as her own. I hope it survives. We shall see.

22 comments:

Baba said...

Hi Peggy, How cute is that baby bunny!! I hope he will continue to do well and live.It is amazing how nature can take care of it's self!!Thanks for sharing this story with us.. Hugs, Baba

ChristyACB said...

Oh, that little one definitely needs to catch a break and he (or she) got one with you!

What will you do with the little smurfkin if it makes it?

Anonymous said...

I hope it works out for the little fellow!
I raised three little wild rabbits one time that the dog brought up(one at a time). I started off with a medicine dropper. I mixed some milk and alfafa tablets together and fed them.
I would take them out in the yard to hop around for exercise. I sit out and watch them. One day I was watching them and all of a sudden the hopped/ran away and never looked back.NO Mother's day card or anything,ever.Lol..
I guess it was their natural time to go.
It sounds like your little wild one has a good chance there.
Have a great day.
Pam

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

Peggy, good luck, you probably already know this, I found it online -
One test for dehydration is to gently pinch the loose skin at the back of the neck. If it stays in a "tent," or does not spring back in one second, the bunny is SEVERELY dehydrated and needs rehabilitation IMMEDIATELY by a professional rabbit vet or rehabber. Another test is to stroke the genital area to stimulate elimination. If the pee is brown and gritty, the mother rabbit has not been there to help the bunnies urinate.

Jess said...

The Good Lord was watching out for that baby bunny...He sent that man with the bunny to you...and He knew you had youngbunnies...

So gald it's doing so well.

Love, Jess

Kritter Keeper at Farm Tails said...

that is a sweet story. i pray your new bunny grows to be a large happy rabbit...please keep us posted!!!

Kittikity said...

Rabbits actually avoid the nest and will only go in it once or twice a day to feed and then leave again.. It's a survival instinct to keep notice away from the nest.. That's probably why the guy didn't see the mother around..

But just in case, it's awesome that the baby is doing well with your bunnies..

Heidi said...

OH!! There is nothing so ugly that its cute as a baby bunny. WHAT FUN!!! wonder if it will be spazzy when it grows up!! LOL

Anonymous said...

What a sweet story and I sure hope the tiny wonder makes it. What sweet pictures. Peggy, you are something special!

Vintage Clutter said...

Oh, this makes me think of a few years back, when my son found a nest of baby bunnies in my flower garden. I told him not to bother them and maybe the Mama would come back, we waited too, but no Mama. I took the bunnies in with their nest had a heat lamp and feed them. They survided for a little over a week. I loved those little bunnies and was amazed at their changes daily, was very sad when they died. My old Tabby cat would sit right beside them as I held them in a blanket in my lap and purr. I hope she was being Motherly and didn't want to eat them! It sounds like that baby will survive. I hope so!

grammy said...

Wonderful story about saving the bunnie. When I was a little girl we had rabbits and once the Mom died and we feed the babies with a doll bottle. I have a family of foxes living next door. The babies are so cute, there are 5 of them.

DonnaB said...

Awww! Loved this story!

Rosa said...

Sniff, pass me a tissue. Another jewel for your crown Peggy. You are just an angel. Another tissue please. <3

The Raggedy Girl said...

What a wonderful story about the wild baby bunny, I hope the mama bunny keeps taking care of it.

The Raggedy Girl

Tracy Bruring said...

Oh I don't suppose anyone told the neighbor that momma only nurses one time per day did they? Fat chance of seeing her come in either. Wild momma's are very smart and don't draw attention to their nest because they are usually being watched. I don't know how you do it Peggy. I am thrilled that that baby is doing so well.

Leslie said...

What a cute baby and what sweet story!

meggie said...

That is such a hopeful story! I hope it survives.

Tossing Pebbles in the Stream said...

I had a wild bunny when I was young. One night I heard a baby crying in the bush next to our house. It turned out to be a baby bunny my cat had designs on. I kept it for years. I called in Pierre, Le Lapin, (I enjoyed French even then. Sadly, I have never mastered speaking French)

JoyceAnn said...

Peggy Dolittle , that's a precious story ~ Have a great day !

~ Many Blessings ~
JoyceAnn

Pam said...

What a dear story. I am really pulling for that little bunny!
Always a joy to visit Hidden Haven.
Blessings,
Pam

DayPhoto said...

You are ONE amazing husband of animals! Everytime I come I am inpressed! You go girl! Maybe one day I'll grow up and be like you!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

The Mind of a Mom said...

Nature is amazing!! Where do you learn all this how to care for all the different types of animals from?