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The process of raising a wild animal is MUCH more complex than many realize. Though it seems appealing to some people, it is very much illegal for a person to attempt raising a baby wild animal(s) without a rehabilitation permit. With that said, we at BTN take this process very seriously in hopes to return each one of them back to nature.

Environmental/human impact, domestic animal attacks, lack of knowledge about how wild animals are raised by their parents, death of the mother and rejection from the mother are all possible reasons why you might find a wild baby animal. Not knowing what to do and wanting to do what's best for the animal are the two main reasons why people bring injured and orphaned wild animals to us.

In most cases, 24 hour care is required (just like a human child). Formula, bottles, aspirators, blankets, medicine, baby wipes, and very little sleep are all a part of ensuring these tiny creatures survive and thrive. Our hands-on nurturing, however, is limited. Once these babies are capable of eating on their own and can be placed with others, they learn to identify with many, many others of their own species. This process is extremely crucial to their survival.

After they have proven they can be on their own, we place them in outdoor enclosures (aka hackouts) where they 'train' to be the wild animal they are meant to be. At this point, very little human interaction occurs throughout the day. Only cleaning, forage feeding, and health checks are made during this period of growing up.

Anywhere from 3 months to 8 months of age (depending on the type of species and the readiness of the individual animal), they are ready for release.