Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: Eastern Cottontail

You may have bunnies in your yard and not know it!

This infant cottontail came to the Center with three siblings after their nest was accidentally hit with a weedwhacker.

Two of the four littermates had no physical trauma and were able to be renested after being cleaned up. The most severely injured suffered significant brain trauma and a skull fracture and was humanely euthanized. This individual had multiple lacerations and deeper muscle wounds that we were ultimately able to repair.

After being started on pain medications and antibiotics, we were able to surgically repair all of the wounds, including the largest wound that shredded skin between the chin and shoulder. This baby’s prognosis is guarded but we are hopeful that given the age, healing will occur quickly.

This young patient is 1 of 49 eastern cottontails we have treated so far this year!

Last year, we treated 462 eastern cottontails at the Center. The top causes for admission in this species are being attacked by a cat (46%), being attacked by a dog (30%), vehicle collision (6%), and lawmower/weed-whacker accidents (6%).

Many of these injuries can be prevented by protecting nests, keeping pets indoors or on a leash when outside, and checking before you mow!

Eastern cottontail nests are easy to miss! You may have one in your yard and not even know it.

Look for a dead patch of grass, like the one in the photo, that may (not always) contain white or gray fur. Under that dead grass and fur could be a nest of baby bunnies!

Mom only feeds her babies twice per day around dawn and dusk. Just because you do not see a mother over the course of a 12-hour period, it does not mean those babies are orphans.

Mom won’t return if you’re watching nearby, so give the nest some space! If you find a nest in your yard and you have pets, we have an easy solution!

Baby bunnies only stay in the nest for 4-5 weeks so consider walking your dog or cat on a leash during that time to protect the nest. If that doesn’t work you can try using a laundry basket to protect the nest! There only needs to be a softball-sized entrance (created by cutting to combine two holes in this basket) for mom to enter/exit. For small dogs, an upside-down laundry basket may suffice. For slightly larger dogs, you may need to add weight to the top of the basket. The laundry basket solution does not work for cats so please keep your pet cats inside or walk them on a leash to protect wildlife!

If you find cottontails and you are concerned, refer to our flow chart to see what you should do. You can always call us at 540-837-9000 if you have any questions or concerns!

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