As spring unfolds, Boulder County wildlife rehabilitators are seeing an uptick in orphaned baby animals.

“Spring is a critical time for wildlife,” said Mysti Tatro, community relations manager at Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. “Many animals are born during these months, and it’s not uncommon for young ones to become separated from their parents or injured because of human activity.”

Greenwood workers treat injured, sick or orphaned animals at 5761 Ute Highway in unincorporated Boulder County near Lyons.

Tatro said the rehabilitation center typically sees an increase in orphaned wildlife beginning in March and April.

“We can kind of predict what species are going to start coming in based on the month,” Tatro said. “April and March are pretty heavy when it comes to squirrels and cottontails or bunnies, so we are seeing a ton of those little guys coming in … it gets crazier and crazier after that, with nearly 500 on site being cared for at a time during the summer.”

Tatro said Greenwood currently has a total of 89 patients on site.

“Squirrels are the majority of our 71 mammals on site,” Tatro said. “We have over 50 fox squirrels, the tree dwelling squirrels that you see around town. We are also getting calls about raccoon babies being seen. Our hope is that we can reunite them with their families before they come in. We don’t want them to be with humans, but if they do need us, we’re here.”

Generally, Tatro told residents to not automatically assume an animal is orphaned, as many young mammals, including squirrels, are left alone for a period of time while their parents forage for food. Instead, she recommends observing the situation from a distance for an extended period.

“Tips can be different for each species. That’s why we tell folks ‘don’t do, call, rescue’, Tatro said. “Our team is dedicated to providing these animals with the compassionate care they need to return to the wild, but we need the public’s help to prevent needless kidnappings.”

According to Tatro, cottontail rabbits are most likely to be unintentionally kidnapped by community members.

“This is one species where we see a lot of kidnappings, because people say, mom isn’t around,” said Tatro. “Well the mom isn’t around because she doesn’t want predators to be attracted to her babies by her scent, so she’s going to leave the nest and only come by once at dawn and once at dusk to feed her babies.”

Kara Van Hoose, the northeast region public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, said newborn wildlife should not be touched by humans unless absolutely necessary.

“Don’t touch or move the babies unless they are in imminent danger,” Van Hoose said. “If you move them or pick them up, you are not only taking them away from a place where the mom is coming back with food, but you’re putting a human scent on those animals … so if you intervene in that process, that mom and baby will never be reunited again. Call, don’t take action into your own hands.”

Tatro stated that the reason squirrels make up the majority of their intakes is due to tree trimming.“One of the big things that happens with squirrels is that people are trying to trim their growing trees, especially deciduous trees, and they can inadvertently cut down a squirrel nest,” Tatro said.

“Occasionally, we can still try to reunite, but sometimes the babies are orphaned or the mom is injured, so you want to try to avoid any tree trimming at this time when there’s a nest of babies in the trees.”

Additionally, she said many cottontail patients were brought to the rehabilitation center due to pet attacks.

“Almost every single cottontail that we got today has come in due to some sort of pet attack. During this time, cottontails are being born and their nests are in the ground or a shallow depression in the ground, so dogs can find them really easily, dig them up and inadvertently injure them, or an outdoor cat could prey on them,” Tatro said.

Tatro said in order to safeguard cottontails in the area, residents should keep cats indoors and leash their dogs in the backyard to make sure there’s no nests.

“Every year, we care for hundreds of orphaned wildlife,” Tatro added. “Over 70% of our case load includes orphans each year. We rely on the compassion of our community to help us find orphans in need. By being aware and taking simple precautions, you can make a significant difference in the lives of these animals.”