Welcome to Laurens Wildlife Rescue's home on the web! Our goals in this blog are to provide you with weekly updates on animals we currently have in rehab; to provide useful tips on co-existing peacefully with wildlife; and to provide interesting snippets of wildlore for your amusement and edification.

With that in mind, let me throw out a few tips I hope you'll find useful as "baby season" kicks into high gear:

     With first "fur season" nearing its end, any small squirrels you see are more than likely juveniles who are recently out of the nest. Unless they appear injured or seem to be hungry or disoriented in some way, it's best to leave them alone. They're independent young ones now!

       Rabbits and possums sort of defy conventional rehab wisdom on "fur season," as they seem to reproduce pretty much all through the warmer months. See our "I found a wild baby" page at www.laurenswildliferescueinc.org for tips on dealing with potentially orphaned rabbits; for baby possums, a good rule of thumb is if they're less than 8 inches long and Mama's not in sight, they're probably in trouble. Get them to a rehabber ASAP.

       Baby deer are all too frequently kidnapped by well-meaning souls who just don't  stop to realize that Mama Doe stashes her babies in safe seclusion while she grazes nearby.  Generally speaking, unless you see Mama Doe dead nearby or unless that fawn is injured, obviously ill or starving, or in immediate danger from predators, DON'T KIDNAP THAT BABY!!!

       "Feather season" has arrived, so be on the lookout for unnested baby birds. BUT - and this is a huge 'But' - be aware that in many cases you can replace those babies in their nest or put them in a makeshift nest and the parents will continue to feed them. Again, see our "I found a wild baby" page at www.laurenswildliferescueinc.org for instructions on helping baby birds.

       Above all, remember that holding wildlife of any kind without a permit is illegal in most states, and you're breaking federal law if you have a wild bird without a permit. Licensed rehabbers have the training, experience and contacts to handle these orphaned, injured and ill wildlings. This why you should always contact a licensed rehabber ASAP when you find a wild animal of any kind who needs help.