A volunteer from Wildlife Center of Missouri graciously returned my call about Lil Pete this afternoon.  I gave him the update on Lil Pete, and let him know that the nest looked exactly as it had last evening, and that Lil Pete was pretty much in the same spot in the next that I put him.  He advised that I should bring Lil Pete in for them to take care of him, since Lil Pete’s Mamma had likely abandoned the nest.    While most mother’s will return and tend to their young, occasionally, when a nest has been destroyed by human or hound, the mother will not take care of the young that remain.

So, after the kids got up from their naps, I packed Lil Pete in a wipes box with some straw, and we as a family set out on the adventure of bring Lil Pete to his new home.

The drive to the Wildlife Center of Missouri is about 45-50 minutes from our home.

When we arrived, I had to fill out an Animal Record, complete with my address and phone number, type of animal, any care given, and whether or not I was willing to allow the animal to be release in my yard once he is able to survive on his own.  Um, yeah.

Including Lil Pete, the Wildlife Center of Missouri is home to 146 creatures tonight.

While I completed the paperwork, Mister looked at the Who board.  When you lift the flap of each animal, it tells who to call if you find one injured or abandoned in your yard.  Of course, Mister just wanted to look at the animals, but I thought it was a cool tool.  Sister was enamored with the fish tank, which I couldn’t get a good picture of because of the reflection.

After I completed Lil Pete’s intake record, I snagged a picture of the Shift Assignment board.  The place is staffed primarily by volunteers, and these people take their job seriously!

I felt a lot better knowing that Lil Pete would be on a feeding schedule and that he would be joining other bunnies.

The told me that I was welcome to call and check on Lil Pete, and that he would be identified by my last name.  Awww.  That makes him family, right?

While there, I also grabbed a copy of the Wildlife Center of Missouri Wishlist.  The center gladly accepts donations to offset the cost of caring for the animals that are brought in for rescue.  Their wish list ranges from  simple things (like cotton swabs and cotton balls) to household items (like pillowcases) to very specific larger items (like a circular saw and blades).  They also have a CafePress store,  and the proceeds benefit the center.

Mister was a little upset when we left, and Lil Pete had to stay behind.  I did my best to explain to him that Lil Pete needed care that we just couldn’t provide.

So, after our one and a half hours round trip to drop off a bunny at a wildlife refuge, I have to day, I don’t regret a second of it.  Sure,  a lot of people would be like, “Ah, let nature take it’s course,” and justifiably so.  But, nature didn’t wreck Lil Pete’s nest.  We did.  So, I felt obligated to ensure his care and well being.

I hope that in the long run, it will serve as a lesson to my children, that the wildlife around us are valuable, even if the little critters do cause a lot of trouble.

So long, Lil Pete.  Best of luck to you!

Well, Lil Pete is still with us.  He actually stayed in the nest that I restored.

I can’t tell if Mrs. Cottontail came during the night to feed him or not, as the nest looks exactly like it did when I restored it.  However, Pete doesn’t look dehydrated, and there isn’t any gritty brown urine around him, so I am hoping that Mrs. Cottontail is sneaking in after hours.  I put out another call to the Wildlife Center of Missouri and am waiting on a return call.  I am hoping they will say to just watch him over the next few days.  I think I would miss him if he were gone.  I will take him in to their rabbit rehabilitation center, if I need to, though.