Species Info

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HARES

"I found a baby bunny" is a call that we often receive here at The Rock Wildlife Rescue. What many people don't know is that the only wild “bunnies or rabbits” in Newfoundland are hares. Our Hares are precocial, meaning they are born fully furred with their eyes open, and it is often normal to find them without mom.

A hare den is simply a shallow depression in the ground, lined with fur and covered with grass, so finding a group of babies when out in your yard in the spring (esp under a children’s play center or an area that has been unused over the winter) is not uncommon. A female hare has two to five babies (leverets) per litter, and the babies stay in the den while she returns to feed them only a couple of times per day. She does this to protect them from being detected and to find nourishment. As a result, it is normal to find babies without the mother present (and they become independent at a very young age). Our rule of thumb is, if a hare is longer than your average hand, it is likely old enough to be on its own.

To determine if a baby hare is in need of help, look for any of the following:

  • Any visible wounds or fractures
  • Was it in a cat or dog's mouth
  • Was it removed from it's den and then den cannot be located

To determine if a den of baby hares is in need of help, look for any of the following:

  • Are the babies covered in mites, fleas, or ticks
  • Do babies appear lethargic or lifeless, or one or more have died

If the den has been attacked by a cat or other predator, but the babies are not injured, return the young to the den, cover it over with grass, and quiently check on the den every 6-8 hours for signs that the mother has returned (if she has returned and fed them, the grass should be disturbed and the babies should be resting).

If mom does not return and babies are deteriorating – or the predator returns and the babies can not be protected, put them in a box lined with grass (use the grass from their den if possible) and call us at The Rock Wildlife Rescue.

Keeping cats indoors and deterring dogs from the area for a few weeks will help protect these tiny hares allow them to mature and leave for a safer location.