Caring for baby animals is hard work

WAYNESBORO — A tiny possum in one hand, Spencer Randolph held a feeding tube in his other.

The rehabilitation extern was one of four people working in a small room — a space crowded with cages and even more baby animals. Cute ones. But ones with needs, nutritional and medical.

The room serves as the intensive care unit at the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

"Right now, we have 110 animals here at the wildlife center, and over half of those are in our ICU … and those are the small babies we're caring for," said Dr. Kelli Knight, assistant director of veterinary services.

On this particular day recently, the center had 18 baby cottontail rabbits, 20-some baby eastern grey squirrels and four baby possums — all of which required five or six feedings daily.

"ICU is ... one of our busiest spots for our staff this time of year," Knight said.

For the team, baby duty begins the moment they walk through the door and never slows down.

"At 8 a.m. they're gonna be in there. … They're gonna be warming up formula. They're gonna be starting their feedings," she said.

"Our first feeding, that's all … well … basically every animal that's in there."

About the time the first round of feedings finishes (if they are lucky), it starts again.

That then rolls into the 12:30 p.m. feeding.

It doesn't stop until the 8 p.m. dinner routine ends, making for a long day, and a succession of them without a break. The infant animals can't go without food.

"This is a tiring job," Knight said.

Revolving door

Baby season for the Wildlife Center begins each February with the coming of the eastern grey squirrels. That when things kick off.

"It's often around Valentine's Day that we start getting those guys," Knight said.

"Next we start getting cottontail rabbits," she said. "They usually come in March."

After the rabbits, the baby possums arrive in mid-April.

Squirrels remain at the Center for about 12 weeks, cottontails only about 3 to 4 weeks. Possums stay 3 to 4 months. "That's when they would normally emerge from their mother's pouch," Knight said.

Fast breeders

Of course, the squirrels and possums aren't the real problem.

"With cottontail rabbits, they start breeding in March and they breed all the way until September," said Knight.

"They breed like … well … rabbits."

A doe can have three to four litters every year. The center, tucked up on a clearing in the woods on the southern edge of Waynesboro, takes in 300 to 400 of the rabbits each year.

"Yes, it's very busy … very tiring … constantly moving … feeding and cleaning."

Although the care burns through energy and expense, there is the reward.

"As we start weighing these babies and seeing them grow, and they progress to the next stages of development," Knight explained, "it's amazing, and you realize that all the hard work you've put in was worth it — especially on that day you get to send them back to the wild."

How to recognize if a baby animal needs help

Eastern Grey Squirrels

An infant baby squirrel has a skinny tail.

If the tail is puffed out like a bottlebrush, it is probably old enough to be on its own.

If you see it alone, you probably want to watch and see if the mother is around as they will start adventuring out of the nest.

Best to observe before you bring it to a wildlife rehabilitator.

Cottontail Rabbits

If you find a nest, it is best to put the babies back in the nest and leave them there.

It is a myth that your smell will scare the mother away.

And if you do not see the mother, this is normal.

The mother rabbit will only come at dusk and dawn to feed the baby rabbits.

If you want to find out if your rabbits are orphaned, a cool tip is to put a flour ring around the nest or place sticks in a cross over the nest.

Check the next morning, and you will know if the mother is returning to feed her young if there are footprints through the flour or if the sticks have been broken or moved.

Opossums

Baby possums are unique in that the mother herself is their nest because they grow up in a pouch.

So, if you find a juvenile possum that is less than about six inches from the tip of its nose to the base of its tail, it truly is orphaned and needs to be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator as the mother, which is also its nest, has moved on.

Photographs and story by Mike Tripp | mtripp@newsleader.com