How to keep all baby creatures safe and sound
Recently, the Marin Humane customer service department received an interesting call from a San Rafael resident who reported seeing “tiny, dangling animal legs” from their roof.
Animal services officer Dawn Hernandez was dispatched to the home.
“When I got there, I saw the little legs. Baby squirrel legs. I climbed a tall ladder but I couldn’t pull him out. Luckily, a quick-thinking neighbor who had just been on his roof replacing these same Spanish tiles told me how to pry them off,” she said. “I uncovered three more baby squirrels — all around a perfect nest. While the nest was in great shape, the babies weren’t, so after consulting our friends at WildCare I transported them there. Apparently, it had gotten way too hot for those babies under the tiles.”
During spring, Marin County plays host to a variety of baby wildlife — from fawns to ducklings to baby squirrels to opossum babies riding in their
mom’s pouch. This means the phone lines at Marin Humane and WildCare stay busy with calls from worried residents. So it’s a good time to be reminded about when to help, when to ask experts for help, and when to just hold back and let nature take its
course.
Fawns are often left alone for hours at a time while mom is away foraging for food. Their primary survival mechanism is to stay still and quiet while she is away. Only if a fawn is walking around and crying is it in distress.
If you see a fawn, don’t try to move it before calling WildCare or Marin Humane for advice. Believe it or not, well-intentioned people have been known to pick up a fawn and put it in their car — even taking the baby to their homes.
While you likely won’t see them, this is also the time of year when coyote pups are born. It’s important to give a wide berth if you suspect a den is nearby, especially when out with your dogs. Coyote parents become more protective during this time and soon after, when pups begin to venture out.
According to Project Coyote, “Coyotes may attempt to escort or divert your dog away from a den. They may put on a show to get your dog to move along, including a bluff charge or hunching the back, and showing teeth. These ‘threat displays’ are intended to scare your dog away without the risk of making physical contact.”
Sometimes though, wildlife babies can use our help.
“There are a few things you can do to help baby wildlife in your neighborhood,” says Alison Hermance, director of communications at WildCare. “First, keep an eye out for fallen baby birds and squirrels, especially after a windy night. If you do find a fallen baby, call WildCare. Second, don’t trim your trees until autumn. Spring might seem like the logical time to trim and prune, but animals are probably already using your trees and bushes as nurseries. Third, checking a hit-by-car opossum on the side of the road to see if it is a nursing mother with babies in her pouch can save tiny lives. Last, consider putting a couple of ramps or floating haul-outs in your pool or pond to help ducklings and other wildlife escape the water.”
To report an animal in trouble, call Marin Humane at 415-883-4621 or WildCare at 415-456-SAVE (7283).
We’re so fortunate to live in a place teeming with wildlife. Let’s try to keep all baby creatures safe and sound.
Lisa Bloch is the marketing and communications director at Marin Humane, which contributes Tails of Marin articles and welcomes animalrelated questions about the people and animals in our community. Go to marinhumane. org, Twitter.com/ marinhumane, or email lbloch@marinhumane. org.