Thousands of baby birds found dead in truck in Delaware, thousands more rescued

CAMDEN, Del. - A local animal shelter is urgently asking for help after thousands of baby birds ended up in their care. Unfortunately, thousands more died before they were able to save them.

What we know:

A truckload of baby birds were left unattended at a Delaware post office for days after leaving Freedom Ranch Hatchery in Pennsylvania on April 29, according to Delaware Online, who says the birds were on their way to destinations across the country.

As many as 10,000 baby birds were reportedly on the truck at the time, including quail, geese and mostly chicks.

First State Animal Center and SPCA say they were able to rescue upwards of 5,000 birds last week, but at least 4,000 were found dead on arrival after being left in the heat without food or water for three days.

The rescued birds are said to be in "stable, but cautious" condition at the shelter as of Monday.

What you can do:

The shelter is asking for donations to help care for the thousands of rescued baby birds.

"We urgently need your monetary support to help us with the financial, labor costs and expenditures to save these thousands of babies in our care."