Help! Tiny furry thing found!

Irish Stones

I just found this!

What is it? Is it a little (very little) grey squirrel?
It was in the grass, with no trees around. Probably its mother would have retrieved it, but I fear that crows and magpies could be quicker.
What do I do now?
I just phoned to the university where they take care of any wildlife animal, but I won't be there before 5 pm (it's about 2 pm now).
They told me to give it some water and sugar.
I'm keeping it warm with a bottle filled with hot water next to it.
In the photo it's clear that it has a little injury on one of its hind legs.
What else could I do?

VonVix

It looks like a baby rabbit to me. Can't help you with much else though! Just make sure the hot water bottle isn't too warm.

kylith

My money is also on baby rabbit. Keeping it warm is the main thing.

Irish Stones

Alright! I was at work when I found it, I left the office at 2:30 pm and rushed to the university where they confirmed your guess, a baby cottontail, a small hare typical of this area, also known as Sylvilagus Floridanus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_cottontail

It's 2 days old and the chances that it will survive are very scarce. They will take care of it with milk, butter and biscuits for babies.
They gave me a reference number, I will call in the next days and they'll keep me updated.

Thanks for your support!!!

BeerWolf

Definitely a rabbit.

Irish Stones

Just called the university.
Good news! The baby hare is still alive
I will call them again at the end of the week, I'll let you know.

Irish Stones

The latest news is that this tiny thing is still alive, in good shape and fights for its life.
The vets at the university are very happy, so am I
The have a Facebook page, next time I call them I will ask them to post a photo of this baby hare so that everybody can see it.

Raminahobbin

Ah that's great news
Keep us updated, it's so nice when there's a happy ending (although I know the little guy is stilll tiny...but we can be positive!)

Irish Stones

And today I found this!!!

It was in the same spot where I found the previous one, but again I found no mother or else around, no holes in the ground, just crows and magpies flying over.
I did the same thing, I left the office as soon as I could and ran to the university where they have taken it. According to the vet this should be around 15 days old, so it shouldn't be related to the other one. They gave me a reference number that is 100 numbers ahead of the other one, so in less than 6 days they accepted 100 wild animals!
I'll have news about it in the next days. The other baby hare is fine, so they told me.
As for the photos on their Facebook page they told me that every now and then a friend of theirs comes and takes pictures of all patients, then they choose who goes on the web and what to write under the photo.
We'll have to wait

aonb

Irish Stones, hares make their 'nests' in long grass. They do not live together like rabbits (underground), but live alone. The babies (called Leverets) have their eyes open from birth. The mothers usually stay close by but feed the baby only once/day in the evenings.

I think Hares are protected (?) and their main predator is the fox.

I thought hares were born with fur, but the first one you found was 'bald'

Where did you find them - is there an urban colony of hares?! - I though hares were particularly shy/avoided humans...

Hope they both survive - will the university release them into the wild when safely grown?

Joeseph Balls

+1 to aonb, you do realise hares are born above ground?

DBB

I think there's some confusion here. Irish Stones (the op) isn't in Ireland (I think you're somewhere in Europe, Irish Stones?) and has posted that this is a baby cottontail, which I think is a rabbit, not a hare? But, that species of cottontail is american?
In any case, they do use burrows and nest holes excavated by other animals, and they are found in populated areas as well as out in the wilderness!

Irish Stones

My nickname is misleading, that's why my signature says what it says. I'm Italian, I live in Italy
It seems, according to Wikipedia, that this species of hare or rabbit only lives in North America, France and here, in Italy.
They don't do nests in holes but lay a layer of leaves, grass and fur flat on the ground in the grass, so it seems that all the babies are exposed all the time.

What might have happened is that the mother made her nest in the high grass, but this strip of green has been recently mowed and I think that most of the babies have been killed by the blades along with the nest and only some of them have survived.
Two hours ago I found another baby (like the one I found this morning) not far from the previous one. So I think that after the grass cutting the litter was destroyed, the mother ran away and this two babies were left behind.
According to wikipedia this small baby should be old enough to survive without problems.
The fact is that I can't take the third rabbit to the university, so I think I might bring it home.

The place where I found them is the place where I work, a large industrial plant with wide green spaces around.
The area is populated by squirrels, crows, magpies and cats, so any baby is at risk if left outside.

The university told me that when the rabbits are ready they will release them in the park around the university, where in the past hundreds of others rabbits were released.

aonb

Whoops, sorry to cause confusion Irish Stones!
Given the mower situation, you did even better to rescue them (never mind the magpies & other potential threats) Apologies again

Irish Stones

aonb wrote: »

Whoops, sorry to cause confusion Irish Stones!
Given the mower situation, you did even better to rescue them (never mind the magpies & other potential threats) Apologies again

No need to apologize or be sorry
I'm still putting all the pieces together to understand what's going on.
The mower could be a possible explanation. I've seen the garden keepers at work on Friday, the grass hadn't been cut for a long time before that day, so my hypothesis is that the mother rabbit chose the place to give birth to her babies, but before they were able to move on their own the mower arrived.
I wonder how long the babies can survive without any help from their mother.

Despite the fact that over here is Italy the weather is dreadful, it's raining a lot and the temperatures are lower than yours.
If I hadn't picked them up from the grass, those two babies would have died from cold and wet before the crows could find them.

I have one of the two babies here at home now, I put it into a hamster cage with two small bowls for water and cat milk (the vet told me that) and pellet food for baby rabbits. In the cage I put a bottle with warm water.
I don't know what else I can do, I never dealt with rabbits before...

DBB

Irish Stones wrote: »

It seems, according to Wikipedia, that this species of hare or rabbit only lives in North America, France and here, in Italy.

Have you any idea how they ended up in France and Italy? As an american species, they just don't belong over this side of the Atlantic, so I'm wondering if you know were they released in France or Italy for any reason in the past? Or did the university know?
Just curious!
You seem to draw little waifs and strays to you Irish Stones! I think you need to set yourself up with a little sanctuary there

Irish Stones

DBB wrote: »

Have you any idea how they ended up in France and Italy? As an american species, they just don't belong over this side of the Atlantic, so I'm wondering if you know were they released in France or Italy for any reason in the past? Or did the university know?
Just curious!

What I have read is that they were introduced in those areas from North America around 1950's-1960's to use them as preys during hunting seasons...
The typical kind of mistake that mankind do when they think they are God, like the grey squirrels in Europe (where I live there's the highest number of grey squirrels of all the continent!), or the rabbits in Australia.

You seem to draw little waifs and strays to you Irish Stones! I think you need to set yourself up with a little sanctuary there

I seem to attract them or that I am attracted by them
Sometimes I hear a voice inside my head that says to me to check in a particular spot, that's how I found these three babies... might sound creepy, but it's the truth...
This creepy thing had me to find a two-month old kitten in a large waste bin two days before Christmas, or to save other animals in the past.
If only I had more time and money... :P

I have just found this page

http://www.2ndchance.info/bunnies.htm

Irish Stones

Unfortunately I had to part from my baby rabbit...
Today at noon I went back home and I found it lethargic and in a condition of hypothermia.
It didn't want to eat or drink its milk since when I brought it home. Last night I rehydratated it with two subcutaneous injections of saline solution (about 4 ml in all), I kept it warm with a hot water bottle next to it, I stimulated it to poo or pee, but nothing happened.
Today at noon I took the decision to take it to the university, where they should be more capable than me, I feared it could die with me.
Since yesterday at the same hour they received 24 other animals.

I was so sorry to let it go with them, but I think it was the only hope the poor bunny had to survive.
I could have taken it there last night but the apocalyptic storm over this area made me stay home. Luckily the bunny was with me, I cannot think what could have happened if it was still free during the storm! :eek:

EDIT: This is the last photo I took of it a few seconds before the staff at the university took it away with them

DBB

Aw Irish Stones :-(
You've a heart of gold.
I hope little bunny will be okay... At worst you have made him comfortable and gave him shelter from a horrible storm.
He won't know that there's a little group of internet people in Ireland rooting for him, but there are :-)
Good luck little bun!

jimf

Irish Stones wrote: »

Unfortunately I had to part from my baby rabbit...
Today at noon I went back home and I found it lethargic and in a condition of hypothermia.
It didn't want to eat or drink its milk since when I brought it home. Last night I rehydratated it with two subcutaneous injections of saline solution (about 4 ml in all), I kept it warm with a hot water bottle next to it, I stimulated it to poo or pee, but nothing happened.
Today at noon I took the decision to take it to the university, where they should be more capable than me, I feared it could die with me.
Since yesterday at the same hour they received 24 other animals.

I was so sorry to let it go with them, but I think it was the only hope the poor bunny had to survive.
I could have taken it there last night but the apocalyptic storm over this area made me stay home. Luckily the bunny was with me, I cannot think what could have happened if it was still free during the storm! :eek:

EDIT: This is the last photo I took of it a few seconds before the staff at the university took it away with them

dbb nailed it heart of gold for sure