HOW TO DETERMINE IF A WILD ANIMAL NEEDS YOUR HELP Do not email for orphan or injury rescues Call (480)987-3544 DO NOT pick up or pet baby bunnies, deer, or any furry animal. Mammal (furry) babies are adapted for survival with many natural defenses such as camouflage, a lack of scent, the ability to stay perfectly still - all designed to avoid detection by predators. When humans touch a baby or a nest site, they destroy this natural defense system. DO NOT assume these babies are abandoned - Mom may just be off feeding or watching from a safe distance, waiting for you to leave! But if the nest is in danger of being destroyed it can be protected so that the mother will find it. HOW TO PROTECT A BUNNY NEST To safely protect a nest so that the mother will be able to locate it takes very little. DO NOT REMOVE BABIES FROM THE NEST OR TOUCH INSIDE THE NEST. Encircle the nest with wire fencing with openings just big enough for the mother to get in. Secure it to the ground so that pets and lawnmowers won't move it. A piece of shade cloth can be draped over the top. If the nest can not be left in place, call immediately 480 987-3544. Wild babies always do better when raised by their mothers. DO NOT try to care for them yourself. If you do not have the proper knowledge and training to care for these critters, what you don't know can kill them. By the time you realize that something is wrong and decide to bring it to a rehabilitator, it could be too late. It is very frustrating and upsetting to watch these tiny lives slip away, no matter how hard we try. Roadrunner Cactus Wren Desert Quail BIRDS Birds are different. They do not depend on smell, and will not reject a baby after it is touched. Most birds do not belong on the ground. However, there are ground nesting species like quail and roadrunners. These nests are not usually easy to see, since they are located in thick vegetation. HOW TO RETURN UNINJURED BIRDS TO THE NEST Uninjured baby birds can be returned to the nest. [Do not attempt to raise a wild bird without the proper training.] If you cannot locate or reach the nest, but know that the parents are in the area, you can make a nest. Use a "berry basket" or any container that will allow the parents easy access to the baby and not retain water. Line it with tissue, grass or soft cloth (no loops or loose threads) and secure it to a branch, close to the trunk, in a tree as close to where you found the bird as possible. Leave the area. From a distance observe to see if the parents find and care for the baby before sunset. If not, the baby needs to be brought to a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. Injured baby birds should be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator IMMEDIATELY. Do not attempt to feed, give water or care for this bird. Unless you are properly trained in veterinary medicine, what you assume you know can hurt them. PLEASE KEEP YOUR PETS CONFINED Free-roaming pets, especially cats. are responsible for up to 75% of orphaned, injured and killed wildlife. Whenever a dog or cat is involved with wildlife it is always considered injured and serious. The lack of visible wounds does not rule out internal injuries. If you must move a wild animal in order to help it, here are some tips to give the animal the best chance of survival:   Keep it warm. Keep it quiet. Call and get the animal to a Rehabilitator immediately! Use the link at the top of the page to locate a Wildlife Rehabiltator anywhere in the US and Canada. Every minute counts if we are to save a wild life. DO NOT make the mistake of waiting to see "If it makes it through the night." Until you can locate and transport the animal to a Rehabilitator: Find a quiet place, away from people and pets. Place the animal on a towel, in a box with a secure top. Put a heating pad under the box set on low. DO NOT give food or water to any animal. DO NOT keep peeking into the box. This stress can kill an already weakened animal.