MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — Tucked away in the corner of your backyard or in other grassy places, keep your eyes open for little bunnies, especially before you mow the lawn.
"If you walk your lawn, you'll see maybe a patch of dry grass. It's a small patch of dry grass. If you notice a patch of dry grass and look more closely, you don't have to touch it. You'll probably see a little bit of hair. The mother pulls hair from her belly to make a nice warm nest for the bunnies. If you see that, maybe put a little stake in the ground there. That way, you can mark it, so you don't have to worry about it," advised Kathy Uhler, director of the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center near Stroudsburg.
The baby bunnies, called kits, are usually born between May and June.
Uhler says mothers often leave their young behind in grassy nests, hidden from predators, so it's OK if the bunnies are alone.
"They are not abandoned any more than a fawn is abandoned. The mother's presence draws predators. She smells like a rabbit; she's moving around. That draws predators. So, she sneaks in, feeds them early in the morning, and right again after dark. She may visit again in the middle of the night. That's it."
If you do find baby bunnies this summer, and they are not visibly injured, it's best to let them be. Don't try to feed the babies or try to hold them.
"We need people to leave them alone unless they need help and can be brought to the wildlife center."