Wild nest in my backyard

Question
We have disturbed a wild rabbit while she was giving birth to a bunny litter.  She has given birth to a couple in the nest but as we walked by she moved and it gave birth to a couple more outside of the nest.  These poor things are just struggling along the grass.  THe rabbit is still there by the nest but I don't know if she will come back to pick up the ones ouside of the nest.  What do we do if anything?  Also, how long do we expect to have these unexpected visitors in our small back yard?

Answer
Dear Monika,

You can gently scoop the wandering babies and place them in a nest by using a clean washcloth or something other than your hands, which are covered with bacteria that are not harmful to you, but can be very dangerous to a baby rabbit whose immune system isn't developed yet.

Once the babies are back in the nest, leave the area so the mama will calm down and come back to her nest.  Tomorrow, check the nest to be sure all is well, though you should avoid touching the babies.  For additional information and help, please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/wildbabies.pdf

I hope this helps, and that mama and babies will give you lovely entertainment for the 3-4 weeks they will be in your yard until the babies are old enough to move out and be mobile with their mama guarding them.

Dana