Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

There are a lot of baby animals being born right now, but it can be hard to know when they need help.

Nature centers and animal rehabbers across the state are seeing more animals coming in as people find babies that aren’t with their mothers, and the Howell Nature Center is no different.

Laura Butler, Executive Director of Programs, said it’s important to identify when there needs to be intervention.

There are some species, like deer, who will leave their babies for most of the day. Often, mothers are close by so they can keep an eye on their young.

Opossum babies are a species that do need help if they're alone. Babies ride on their mother’s back after they outgrow the pouch, and litters can have up to 13. Sometimes, babies get knocked off and the mom won’t realize, leaving them behind. If you find a baby opossum on the ground, you should contact Howell Nature Center.

If an animal, baby or otherwise, is clearly injured or sick, contact Howell Nature Center or another rehabber to find out the best way to help.

The best course of action is to monitor the situation and see if the mother comes back.

Howell Nature Center is looking for foster parents for orphaned babies. Butler said some babies need to be fed every couple of hours, and having extra hands can make that much more manageable. Foster parents bring the animal home with them to care for them before bringing them back to the center.

Donations are also being accepted, either monetary or from their Amazon wish list, which is linked below.

(photo credit: Howell Nature Center)