The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital recently took in a baby bunny, more formally a scrub hare, and shared what one should do if they find one.
Johannesburg, South Africa (06 September 2021) – New life begins to pop up everywhere as spring fast approaches. That means baby birds, bats and bunnies abound. If you spot a baby bunny in your garden, it is important to know what steps to take to protect it.
The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital has shared a guide on what to do if you find a baby bunny or scrub hare in your garden. And how to tell the difference if you do! This is not the first time the wildlife vet has shared a helpful guide; they also have one on what to do if you find a baby bird or bat, which you can find here.
After receiving a scrub hare, they thought it best to share the guide so that people are aware of how to handle finding a baby bunny. Take a look below.
“This young Scrub hare (Lepus saxatilis) was found alone and picked up. Typically, scrub hare mothers leave their babies, and only come back to the nest to feed them two or three times a day, basically stashing them under a bush until she can come back. It is also common for these leverets to leave the nest and go exploring, only to return later.
Often scrub hares have not been abandoned, and it is best to check if the mother does return and to only intervene if the baby hare has been in the same spot out of the nest for more than a day, or if the mother hare hasn’t come back to the nest for more than a day.
This leveret is doing well in our care and will be weaned off his special milk formula soon with a growing appetite for natural grasses.
SAVE our flow chart of what to do if you find a baby bunny. When in doubt, please give us a call to advise: +27 71 248 1514″
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