**** Info via Hope for Wildlife
Hard to believe it’s already that time of year again! Baby season is fast approaching!
Garden sheds, attics, wood piles and garages that have been dormant all winter make great places for wild animals like raccoons to den and have their young. Don’t want an animal taking up residence? Now is the time to act! Make yourself known in the area, visit the spot once or twice a week, moving items around and leaving your scent tells animals that this space is occupied by you! Also look for any entry points if it’s a building and close them up as soon as possible when you know that the space is not inhabited.
What if you discover an animal taking up residence already?
Set up a light and a radio at the site, raccoons and other wild animals want a quiet, dark place to raise their young.
*If babies are present mamma will need time to move them. Animals like raccoons will often have a “back up” den site already picked out so it will take less time for her to move out.
*Animals like to move under the cover of darkness, so give the animal at least 1 -2 nights to move herself and babies before going and checking if the animal has left.
*The mothers must move them one at a time so if you stumble across one or two babies remaining at the den site, give the mother a bit more time for her to come back for them, but keep a watchful eye from a distance!
Unable to deter an animal on your own? Or think that the babies may be orphaned? Call your local wildlife rehab for more help!
