ASAP HELP: RABBIT NEST RELOCATION

[Fishkeeper]

IMO, if you come across a dying animal and decide to let it die, you should put it out of its misery. It won't change anything, except that it will mean the animal suffers less.

 

[twendt]

I'd still call wildlife rehab, or if you take this on yourself ( 24hrs job) I rehabbed a baby rabbit my dog tried to eat, I gave it kitten milk, then greens, dandelions, clover, etc. My kids and I set it free in the woods once it didn't want to be handled (about 3wks later). They tried talking me into keeping it, I grew up with rabbits (not my favorite PET), I had to explain to them that wild rabbits with never like people and aren't pets, hard lesson to learn.

 

[tacothechicken]

Sorry for late end note guys I had full time work! But in the end I got the rehabbers to meet me at the vet and do a pick up for the babies, they perked up after I bathed them and removed any external parasites although only one looked like it had been feed recently and they all needed their little bladders emptied(luckily nothing looked off about it) vet took them in and by that time they seemed to be recovered now whith a lack of bugs, and were crawling about looking for milk. so hopefully they were strong enough to pull through. @Eggscaping yes I know you're correct and unfortunately agree on all notes as much as I wish I could argue sometimes I wish us humans could just think things through completely and prevent issues such as invasive species like wild horses, cane toads and birds. I'd love if we could peacefully control invasive birds but i do know that possibility is a looong way off given thier numbers heres to hoping one day @A_Fowl_Guy i suspect she may have indeed abandoned them as the babies had been crawling out of the nest rather than into when I found them even though they're eyes weren't open, and only one baby remained looking suitably plump the others were clearly skinny and searching for milk once cleaned up. This same female rabbit raises her litters in the same 20 sq ft of our property every time! And every time our dogs find them, but usually theyre around 3 weeks and got caught while out exploring rather than in a nest which is why this situation was surprising. Either way there was a rain storm last night so they'd definitely be dead by now had i left them. Now mom can find a cleaner nest spot, and the babies can get the best chance at life, other than if had they had a clean nest and devoted mom in the first place (there was no help for that nest guys, it was disgusting...) I didnt want to leave them to the slow as it would be cruelty by playing ignorant along whith possibly promoting parasites and disease amongst my own animals, and i don't have the heart to kill a fully sane animal that needs help either. (unless it's clearly diseased or rabid, the gun stays on the shelf) so all in all babies got brought in and bathed and then taken to a vets then to a wildlife rehabilitation center an island over whith hopes of being released if they survive to a few more weeks.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Sorry for late end note guys I had full time work! But in the end I got the rehabbers to meet me at the vet and do a pick up for the babies, they perked up after I bathed them and removed any external parasites although only one looked like it had been feed recently and they all needed their little bladders emptied(luckily nothing looked off about it) vet took them in and by that time they seemed to be recovered now whith a lack of bugs, and were crawling about looking for milk. so hopefully they were strong enough to pull through. @Eggscaping yes I know you're correct and unfortunately agree on all notes as much as I wish I could argue sometimes I wish us humans could just think things through completely and prevent issues such as invasive species like wild horses, cane toads and birds. I'd love if we could peacefully control invasive birds but i do know that possibility is a looong way off given thier numbers heres to hoping one day @A_Fowl_Guy i suspect she may have indeed abandoned them as the babies had been crawling out of the nest rather than into when I found them even though they're eyes weren't open, and only one baby remained looking suitably plump the others were clearly skinny and searching for milk once cleaned up. This same female rabbit raises her litters in the same 20 sq ft of our property every time! And every time our dogs find them, but usually theyre around 3 weeks and got caught while out exploring rather than in a nest which is why this situation was surprising. Either way there was a rain storm last night so they'd definitely be dead by now had i left them. Now mom can find a cleaner nest spot, and the babies can get the best chance at life, other than if had they had a clean nest and devoted mom in the first place (there was no help for that nest guys, it was disgusting...) I didnt want to leave them to the slow as it would be cruelty by playing ignorant along whith possibly promoting parasites and disease amongst my own animals, and i don't have the heart to kill a fully sane animal that needs help either. (unless it's clearly diseased or rabid, the gun stays on the shelf) so all in all babies got brought in and bathed and then taken to a vets then to a wildlife rehabilitation center an island over whith hopes of being released if they survive to a few more weeks.

I wouldn’t consider it cruel but as a part of nature’s cycle. Wildlife documentarians do not interfere if an animal is wounded and let nature take its course. I have a similar philosophy regarding wild animals unless I wounded it myself (accident or hunting; my truck is a deer magnet). Just giving you my opinion on things. You have your own and I respect that you stepped in and took them to a wildlife rehabilitation facility.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Wildlife documentarians may not, but game wardens will. If they find a dying animal, they put it out of its misery.
Just because something happens because of nature doesn't mean it isn't, in a way, cruel. Whether or not there was any malice involved, the animal is suffering.
To me, if you see an animal that's clearly dying, that you have the means to reasonably put out of its misery, to not do so is cruel. It doesn't do anything any good for that animal to continue to suffer, not if all that's going to happen is it will live a few hours or a day more.
Put it this way: if you came onto here and described a chicken that was close to death from an illness, with no hope of recovery, you would probably be advised to kill it. An animal dying of disease is as natural as it gets, even if the animal itself is domesticated. Why should it make any difference if it's a wild animal? Kill it and leave it where it is, and it's the same result (an available food item for scavengers or predators) with less suffering for the animal.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Wildlife documentarians may not, but game wardens will. If they find a dying animal, they put it out of its misery.
Just because something happens because of nature doesn't mean it isn't, in a way, cruel. Whether or not there was any malice involved, the animal is suffering.
To me, if you see an animal that's clearly dying, that you have the means to reasonably put out of its misery, to not do so is cruel. It doesn't do anything any good for that animal to continue to suffer, not if all that's going to happen is it will live a few hours or a day more.
Put it this way: if you came onto here and described a chicken that was close to death from an illness, with no hope of recovery, you would probably be advised to kill it. An animal dying of disease is as natural as it gets, even if the animal itself is domesticated. Why should it make any difference if it's a wild animal? Kill it and leave it where it is, and it's the same result (an available food item for scavengers or predators) with less suffering for the animal.

As a former conservation officer that is not always the case. If we found an abandoned nest with a young animal still residing in it we are required to leave it. The only time we were allowed to dispatch an animal was if it had no chance of survival. If they were just injured we had to give fair chase and if it eluded is we were to leave it and make a note. Conservation officers rarely are put in that position in the first place.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Well, obviously it's different with an animal that still has a chance. If it might live, then killing it does make a difference.

 

[Eggscaping]

Sorry for late end note guys I had full time work! But in the end I got the rehabbers to meet me at the vet and do a pick up for the babies, they perked up after I bathed them and removed any external parasites although only one looked like it had been feed recently and they all needed their little bladders emptied(luckily nothing looked off about it) vet took them in and by that time they seemed to be recovered now whith a lack of bugs, and were crawling about looking for milk. so hopefully they were strong enough to pull through. @Eggscaping yes I know you're correct and unfortunately agree on all notes as much as I wish I could argue sometimes I wish us humans could just think things through completely and prevent issues such as invasive species like wild horses, cane toads and birds. I'd love if we could peacefully control invasive birds but i do know that possibility is a looong way off given thier numbers heres to hoping one day @A_Fowl_Guy i suspect she may have indeed abandoned them as the babies had been crawling out of the nest rather than into when I found them even though they're eyes weren't open, and only one baby remained looking suitably plump the others were clearly skinny and searching for milk once cleaned up. This same female rabbit raises her litters in the same 20 sq ft of our property every time! And every time our dogs find them, but usually theyre around 3 weeks and got caught while out exploring rather than in a nest which is why this situation was surprising. Either way there was a rain storm last night so they'd definitely be dead by now had i left them. Now mom can find a cleaner nest spot, and the babies can get the best chance at life, other than if had they had a clean nest and devoted mom in the first place (there was no help for that nest guys, it was disgusting...) I didnt want to leave them to the slow as it would be cruelty by playing ignorant along whith possibly promoting parasites and disease amongst my own animals, and i don't have the heart to kill a fully sane animal that needs help either. (unless it's clearly diseased or rabid, the gun stays on the shelf) so all in all babies got brought in and bathed and then taken to a vets then to a wildlife rehabilitation center an island over whith hopes of being released if they survive to a few more weeks.

*pats* You did good.