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Maternal abandonment by mammals
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: Maternal abandonment by mammals
- From: "Donna S. Bailey" <dsbailey@conterra.com>
- Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1999 08:33:16 -0400
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
While we were taught in rehabilitation classes to return the baby bird to
the nest if at all possible because birds have no sense of smell and will
not smell that it has been handled, the same is not true of mammals.
Mammal mothers will smell that their babies have been tampered with but,
unless there is a human present and within sight to frighten the adult
animal, mammals simply don't care that baby has been handled. White-tailed
deer certainly don't care and will reclaim their youngsters. I believe the
same would be true of other common urban/suburban wildlife - squirrels,
mice, oppossums, rabbits.
As for birds and a sense of smell, research is ongoing on that topic. I
have seen and heard anecdotal evidence that suggests the Turkey Vultures do
have a sense of smell, while Black Vultures do not. Some think homing
pigeons use in part a sense of smell to find their way back to their home
lofts. Regardless, I have seen the birds reclaim a youngster within ten
minutes of my releasing it. So human scent does not matter to the birds
either, if they have a sense of smell.
The moral of this story - and very true from my perspective as a former
rehabilitator - put it back where you found it, unless the animal is
critically ill already or is in harm's way. The creature's parent will be
back shortly to take care of the youngster. Step away and observe if you
must. Blue Jays do a much better job raising Blue Jays than a human
foster parent ever could.
Donna S. Bailey
Winnsboro, SC
e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com
URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
Where are the Birds? Migration across South Carolina
URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey/audubon
Coulmbia Audubon Society