Wildlife Centre Cautions Against Online Advice for Baby Animal Care

A wildlife rescue facility in Surrey has issued a caution regarding seeking online guidance for the care of young animals, following the admission of mice that had been given a concoction containing ingredients such as mayonnaise and corn syrup. The Wildlife Aid Foundation (WAF), located in Leatherhead, received two infant mice, only days old, described as being “in poor condition, underweight and very dehydrated.” This occurred after a third sibling had already perished. A spokesperson for WAF stated that their consistent recommendation to the public is to reach out to their nearest wildlife centre for guidance upon discovering orphaned young animals. “The internet has so much contradictory advice,” they said. Upon their initial arrival, the centre’s primary concern was to stabilize the animals, according to the spokesperson. They noted that the animals’ fur was coated with the substance they had consumed prior to their admission. Although one of the admitted mice did not survive, the charity reports that the surviving individual, named Syrup, has since made a full recovery and been set free. After its fur had regrown and it resumed typical mouse behaviors, including food caching, Syrup was released into the garden of a volunteer. The spokesperson conveyed their complete understanding of individuals’ desire to hand-rear young animals, acknowledging that such efforts are “always all good intentions.” Members of the public are cautioned against providing orphaned animals with anything beyond a shallow dish of water, unless explicitly instructed otherwise by a professional. The centre stated: “With these DIY attempts likely to get worse as inappropriate footage is shared across social media, we beg you to please think of the animal before sharing or engaging with such content.” Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, and on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.