What To Do if You Found a Baby Rabbit Nest in Your Yard

This time of year, it’s common to find a baby rabbit nest in the yard. If you disturb a baby rabbit nest, place the babies back, cover the nest, and leave it alone. Avoid standing around the nest for too long, so you don’t lead other predators to the nest. If you find any injured bunnies, contact a wildlife rehabilitator to help them recover.

What to do if you disturb a wild rabbit nest

If you live in a suburban setting, it’s almost inevitable that you will happen upon a nest of wild rabbits at some point. If the baby rabbits are not injured, the best thing you can do when you stumble upon one of these nests is to leave it alone.

If the nest is disturbed and the babies have fallen or struggled out, gently place them back in the nest and cover it with as much of the original nesting material as you can. Mother rabbits do not abandon their babies if people have touched them, so you don’t have to worry about picking them up and placing them back in the nest.

You likely will not see the mother since they do not stay to nest with the babies. This does not mean that the nest is abandoned. If you take the babies away from the nest, the mother will eventually come back and panic because of her missing babies.

You should also avoid leaving out food for the new rabbit family since this can also attract predators. Learn more about safe and natural ways that you can feed wild rabbits in your neighborhood.

Avoid moving the nest to a different location

There is conflicting information available about what to do if a nest is in an inconvenient location and has to be moved. Some wildlife centers claim that you should not move the nest at all because it greatly increases the chances of the mother rabbit abandoning the nest. However, other sources claim it’s okay to move the nest up to 10 feet away.

I recommend not moving the rabbit nest unless you absolutely have to. Keep it as close to the original location as possible so that the mother rabbit can find the area again. You’ll also want to use the fur, grass, and other material from the original nest to make sure it still smells the same to the mother rabbit.

Will the mother abandon a disturbed rabbit nest?

If you disturb a wild rabbit nest, you should not expect to see the mother rabbit around. To protect her babies, the mother stays away from the nest for most of the day. This keeps predators from following her or being attracted to her scent since baby rabbits are almost odorless. In most cases, the mother will not abandon a disturbed nest.

It is also very uncommon to see a mother rabbit return to the nest. They typically only go back to feed their babies for a few minutes twice a day, around dusk and dawn. They are very sneaky and easy to miss, so don’t assume the bunnies are orphaned or abandoned just because you never see the mother.

If you’re worried that the mother is not coming back to the nest, there are a couple of ways you can check:

• Place string in a grid over the nest. Loosely place string (or twigs and sticks) in a grid overtop of the hidden nest. If the mother rabbit comes back, she will disturb the grid pattern. If it’s moved in the morning, you’ll know the mother rabbit has been there.
• Place a ring of baking powder around the nest. Similarly, you can pour a thick ring of baking powder or corn starch in a circle around the nest. If the circle has been scattered in the morning, you’ll know the mother has been to visit.
• Check the baby rabbits after sunrise. The other way you can check on the babies is by looking at their tummies. After the mother feeds the babies, the stomach will look plump and round, whereas they will look sunken if they have not been fed.

Wait at least 24-48 hours before deciding the babies have been orphaned or abandoned. Sometimes the mother will only come back once a day. It’s best to err on the side of leaving them be in this case because baby rabbits have a much better chance of surviving if left with their mothers than trying to be nursed to health by humans.

If you believe the babies are orphaned, the best thing to do is contact your local wildlife rehabilitation center.

What does a wild rabbit nest look like

Wild rabbit nests are difficult to detect. That’s why it’s so common to accidentally stumble across them and disturb the baby rabbits. The mother rabbits will camouflage the nest in a grassy area by covering it with grass and leaves. You can typically spot them if you notice an area of disturbed grass with some animal fur tucked in around the edges. This is especially common in areas of tall grass, be careful when mowing the lawn and raking leaves to avoid uncovering the nest or injuring the baby bunnies.

Safety when handling wild rabbits

It’s very rare for rabbits, even wild rabbits, to spread disease to humans. That does not mean it’s impossible, so be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after touching the baby rabbits to avoid the chance of contracting anything. Learn more about contagious diseases in rabbits so you can better understand the risk.

What to do if the baby rabbits are injured?

If the baby rabbits are obviously injured, the best thing to do is get in contact with your local Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for advice. The Humane Society has a list of wildlife rehabilitators in the U.S. to help you get in touch with someone who can help. In my experience, wildlife rehabilitators often have their hands full, so they might not be able to take in the baby bunnies. However, they can give you expert advice and point you in the direction of other available resources in your area.

In the meantime, you can take some basic steps to give the baby bunnies the best chance possible. 

1. Be sure the babies are actually injured. As much as possible, we want to avoid separating baby rabbits from their mother. Don’t assume they are injured unless there is visible blood or a broken limb.
2. Keep the baby rabbits warm and safe. Place the babies in a towel-lined box that they can nestle into. Use a warm hot water bottle or a heating pad on the lowest setting and place it next to the rabbits with a towel as a barrier. You don’t want to put it directly next to the rabbit’s skin because it can cause burning.
3. Do not attempt to feed the baby rabbits. Initially, you don’t want to try to feed the rabbits on your own. Not only do they have unique nutritional needs (cow’s milk is not suitable for rabbits), but they can also easily become asphyxiated by inhaling the liquid if they are fed improperly. Wait to see if a skilled rehabilitator can take them off your hands, and if not, get advice and use this guide from the House Rabbit Society for more information about feeding baby wild rabbits.

As sad as it is, I have to warn you that most baby rabbits that are injured or otherwise separated from their mothers are not likely to survive. The younger the rabbits are, the less chance they’ll have at surviving. It can be heartbreaking when the rabbits you are trying to nurse to health don’t make it, so I want to make sure you’re prepared for that outcome.

Preventing injury in the future

I know it feels horrible if you accidentally injure a nest of baby rabbits. Sometimes the nests are just too well hidden, and you don’t find them in time. The best thing you can do is take some steps to prevent this kind of accidental injury in the future.

• Check for nests before mowing the lawn or raking. Look around for any areas of the lawn that look a little torn up. The presence of rabbit fur is often a giveaway for the hidden rabbit nest.
• Cover or fence off any nests that you find to protect children and pets. Once you’ve found a nest, keep young children and dogs away so that they will not accidentally injure the babies.
• Keep dogs leashed in the yard for 3 weeks. Babies will grow up enough to leave the nest within about 3 weeks. If you can keep your dog leashed in the yard until they have left the nest, you can avoid accidental injury.
• Avoid using harsh lawn chemicals. Many chemicals used for lawn care are deadly to rabbits.

Sources:

1. “I Disturbed a Nest of Baby Rabbits.” Toronto Wildlife Centre. https://www.torontowildlifecentre.com/wildlife-emergency-rescue-hotline/how-to-help-orphaned-baby-wild-animals/how-to-help-orphaned-baby-rabbits/nest-of-baby-rabbits-disturbed.
2. “How to Find a Wildlife Rehabilitator.” The Humane Society. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how-find-wildlife-rehabilitator.
3. “Orphaned Baby Bunnies: Wild and Domestic.” House Rabbit Society. May 12, 2020. https://rabbit.org/care/feeding-caring-for-orphans/.
4. “What to Do About Wild Rabbits.” The Humane Society. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/what-do-about-wild-rabbits.