Dzimitry Valiushka/istockphoto.com

Kittens may be the mewling heralds of spring for the sheltering community, but this season is also prime time for wildlife births. For shelters, the ever-increasing number of injured and orphaned wildlife can mean panicked phone calls from the public.

Some rather kittenish-looking critters appearing in droves this season are baby rabbits—who are actually called “kits.” Baby bunnies are especially vulnerable to interactions with people, no matter how well-intentioned those people are. Due to their high-strung, stressed-out natures, wild rabbits are among the most difficult animals to successfully rehabilitate, even with expert care. It’s therefore best to keep them out of human hands whenever possible. In most cases, bunnies who end up with wildlife rehabilitators weren’t even orphaned or injured in the first place—they were kidnapped by well-meaning folks who found them alone and assumed they needed help.

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