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“I found a baby squirrel! What Should I Do?” First, keep the baby warm. Second, call a rehabber for professional help (843-636-1659; www.keeperofthewild.org.) Third, do not feed it! Fourth, take note of the circumstances. Was a cat involved?
Those were the admonitions with which the Squirrel Class started. Tina Baxley is an experienced rehabilitation facilitator with Keeper of the Wild Wildlife Rescue. She has fostered over 45 squirrels plus she has 9 babies in her care right now. She feeds the babies every few hours and separates them by age in labeled containers as simple as a food storage container with holes punched near the top for aeration. Teenagers need larger cages to bounce around and learn to climb, but babies nestle best in 100% cotton sheeting, or non-woven's like shop or medical rags. Loose weave materials, such as terry cloth and flannel can tangle their little nails and even unravel to choke tiny necks. And a simple emergency warming agent can be a half-full water bottle, heated to body temperature in the microwave, wrapped in a sock or cloth and placed in the container. Or, fill a sock with some rice and heat 30 seconds at a time in microwave, then check for desired warmth to comfort, and place next to the little body simulating mother’s warmth to stay alive.
Sometimes, if a baby falls from its nest, the mom is still around and will come and get it to put it back in the nest. If you suspect that is the case, keep the baby safe and warm and leave it where its mama can pick it up. It is always a good idea to wear gloves so your scent does not transfer to the baby, which could cause the mom to reject it. Also, there are diseases that wild animals can carry, so keeping yourself safe and wearing gloves and washing hands is a very good idea while performing a rescue.
In cases of injuries, or the death of the mama squirrel, the best resort is to turn the animal over to a rehabber, who is trained and who also has access to medical resources. What is a rehabber? These are volunteers, like Tina Baxley and the beautiful and passionate women who attended the workshop. When an animal is in need, Keeper of the Wild puts out a call to the trained volunteers. Whoever is available or closest to the location of the foundling, responds, and arranges the pickup to rehabilitate the injured or displaced squirrel.
The volunteers in the class received detailed instruction on how to compose feeding formula and when to administer it; to measure babies’ progress by weighing before and after feeding, and by carefully administering measured intake doses based on weight. Then each volunteer practiced and fed and “burped” each of the nine babies under Tina’s guidance. Burping was the excuse-word for cuddling the little creature after it had its fill of formula and fell asleep in the loving hands that had nurtured it. Some babies eagerly took their food, but the tiniest ones, 3 weeks old or less, still had to learn what the o-ring syringe-nipple would bring them. Some of the “teens” were so eager they chirped to express their impatience and delight. The faces of the nurturing volunteers lit up with delight in working with these beautiful little creatures. The 3-hour session flew by!
All squirrels are to be released to the wild. Yes, they are incredibly cute when they little, but they are not suitable pets. A squirrel will pick its favorite person (perhaps not the rescuer), and then turn on that person and bite them at some point in the future. They have a wild instinct that protects them and ensures survival. If you are caring for an orphaned or injured squirrel, keep children, pets, and all untrained people away from them for the safety of all.
What about an injured squirrel, you asked? Non-releasable squirrels are those whose teeth do not reduce naturally, and those that may have suffered paralysis in the fall or concussion that left it where it was lucky you came to help it. Once babies’ teeth start growing, they start gnawing. The gnawing wears down the teeth so that they stay the proper length for successful food foraging. If the teeth are abnormal, the squirrel’s teeth have to be manually cut by an expert in order for it to stay alive, which prohibits its release to the wild. Paralysis of the back legs in injured animals can also be a reason for non-release. In such cases, the animal becomes a permanent resident of the Shelter, and can be “gainfully employed” in doing exhibits and teaching at schools and community centers. Tina told a wonderful story of a baby whose back legs were paralyzed. She talked to him to encourage him, day after day, but he was not visibly growing stronger. Finally, the day came one leg started supporting him, and eventually the next leg came “alive.” He was successfully released, and for a time, came to the kitchen window to say hello. My brother, who is a forester, had a similar experience with a baby he rescued, which for a while was a little guy whose teeth would not stay short. His name was Snoopie. One day, Snoopie took off from my brother’s shoulder onto a live oak, and for a time, came back to visit. The last visit, he brought his squirrel-wife, said hello in the kitchen window, and the couple departed happily to their new life together. Romantic, yes! Animals are capable of feelings that we think only humans experience!
How can you tell a baby squirrel from a baby mouse or rat? Babies look similar, but mice and rat babies open their eyes in 2 weeks. A squirrel’s eyes open after 5 weeks. Baby rats and mice have clear nails…but so do flying squirrel babies! A grey or red squirrel has black nails.
So why not feed a baby? Unless it is literally so dehydrated that it is dying, it is best not to risk feeding it because water or milk very easily aspirates into its lungs. A rehabber will sometimes hold a dehydrated baby’s body under a soft stream of body-temperature warm water to hydrate it through the skin. The best thing you, the rescuer, can do for your foundling, is to call a rehabber for help and keep it warm. Also, it is important to note the circumstances. A cat bite is poisonous to a squirrel, and the rehabber would need to administer antibiotic immediately if a cat brought the animal.
Are you intrigued? Come join Tina, Alison, Edye, Anita, Becky, Brooke, Brittney, Jennifer, Helen, Nancy and many others, and share the joy of knowing you are helping a special creature to live and return to the wild to make friends and have a family and complete its work in the circle of life! It’s baby-season now, and KOW needs all the help it can get, so please come and volunteer.
As I left the library at charming Daniel Island, an unusually large, light grey, flicking tail caught my eye. As his face turned to check me out, the black mask, white contrast and gorgeous facial features resembling a raccoon stood out. He was a fox squirrel, and he was Mr. Gorgeous! Fox squirrels are larger than grey squirrels and were imported in the previous centuries by wealthy landowners to enhance their hunting grounds and plantations. You can see them on Spring Island or at The Biltmore Estate, where there also are white squirrels.
Keeper of the Wild Wildlife Rescue and Sanctuary Inc. trains rehabbers in a 9 county area of the Low Country. For more information and volunteer opportunities Volunteer Coordinator through the website, www.keeperofthewild.org.