baby gerbils rejected

Question
Our baby gerbils were born last evening. We found father gerbil eating one and removed him. Two more babies were born after that. This morning we found them laying in the open outside the nest. We thought mother might have been nursing them last night, but now she is ignoring them. What can we do?

Answer
Hi Ben,

It must be really sad for you to have seen that, but unfortunately it is actually natural. The chances are that baby may have already been dead, or died shortly after birth. When this is the case the parents will normally eat them to keep the nest tidy!!! In the wild a dead gerbil would attract predators, and so it is a way of effective cleaning.

It is very difficult, but you must not disturb the mother or move the babies as you may distress them further, and stress again is another cause for the parents to cannabilse their children. Give her time, and you amy find she is looking after them. They would not survive more than a day without being fed by mum!!!

I know it is hard but the best you can do is nothing, apart from leave them be!!

I do hope this helps a bit,
Charlie