Will the mama bunny return to the nest if they have been handled?

Question

My girls found a bunny nest outside. They decided that the mother wasn't around and wasn't coming back, so they thought they would "take care of them" themselves. One of the girls decided they would give them a bath. They put them in a little bowl of water and washed them. They did all this before we knew what they were doing outside. They put them back in the nest and we checked on them this morning and they were ok, so far. Will the mom come back to them and take care of them, or what should we do to try to keep them alive?

Answer 1

probably not.

why would they touch them!?!?

Answer 2

I would guess it's the same thing for birds, hamsters, rats, mice, etc. I'd take the babies to a shelter that maybe someone can foster them. If there aren't a lot of baby bunnies maybe can be a new pet. Have a few of their friends take one.