Squirrel Rescue Story - Part Two

To start from the beginning, go here. 

Once the squirrel was safely inside the cat crate, I picked it up to move to my yard.  Of course, again she began screaming bloody murder.  I knew this baby was in pain, and she was badly injured, but she was feisty and very much alive. I was able to see a puncture wound on her back and Danielle, the young neighbor lending me a hand, saw one on her face. (Now we know there were more.)

I took the crate to my side door and covered it with a towel, to help calm her.  She stopped screaming when I set the crate down.  Poor thing, during the rescue her chest was heaving and her tiny chin quivering in fear and pain.  I know squirrels are rodents and can be destructive, but I cannot leave any creature to die a slow death if I can help it.  I left the quiet crate and went indoors to feed my dogs and prep a few things before heading to Richmond Wildlife Center.  As I took my dogs out after dinner, one at a time, I peeked around the corner to check on the crate. It hadn’t been 10 minutes at most since I’d left her by the side door.  I assumed Mama squirrel would be nearby, but I was surprised to see she had removed the towel and was sitting on top of the crate.  When I loaded the crate into the car, Mama squirrel was right there with us.  I know she would have gotten in the van if I had left the door open.  All I could do was tell her I wasn’t planning to harm her baby, and if I could, I’d bring her back. 

I left Danielle to sit with my dogs, and headed to Richmond Wildlife Center. (more about this in Part Three) I texted Danielle after dropping off the young squirrel to let her know I was on my way home.  Her reply made my heart drop: “...I saw Gregory playing with a squirrel....”  NOOOOOOO.  was all I could think. (Gregory is my youngest dog, and at first we thought he was responsible for the injuries.)

Fast forward to home:  I arrived and did a yard walk.  Danielle had not seen any when she went to get Gregory, I didn't see any, either.  I let the dogs out.  Gregory was on a leash.  As we walked past a tree I saw a large hunk of black fur, about eye level.  I moved close.  It moved, too.  I whipped my head around - a baby squirrel.  Another baby, slowly circling, inching up the tree as I watched.  

Inside we all went.  After 30 minutes or so, I went back out to see.  This youngster was still clinging to the tree.  I couldn’t see any injuries, but I had no way to get close. If it was the sibling, it had been a terrifying day.  I had no choice but to leave this one alone, hoping it would venture back down.  Dusk began to fall.  I went out to my deck to watch the baby, zooming in on the silhouette.  Still clinging.  I watched.  After about 8 minutes or so, the low buzz of birds and insects was suddenly broken by the most piercing, guttural chirp in four short bursts.  The baby.  Before the last chirp ended, I heard the claws-on-bark sound of Mama squirrel, zooming down her tree. I watched her scoot across the leaves to her baby.  In half a second, she placed her front paws on the trunk of that tree and then back down to the ground.  She turned and continued in the opposite direction. What? In another few seconds, the Mama had traversed her runway of tree limbs above, and scooted down to her baby.  I could see some commotion.  Then it stopped.  More commotion.  Then quiet.  I stared at the spot, but then I heard it.  The rustling leaves and I looked down barely quickly enough to see Mama heading back across the yard, and up the tree to her nest.   

I headed out to the yard to be sure there was no injured baby.  He was gone.  I can only assume Mama squirrel either carried or coaxed her youngster down and home. The sun had set and in the twilight it was hard to tell.  As I walked under her tree and looked far above my head, I could see the silhoutte of Mama squirrel against the dark, cobalt sky as she lay across a short, broken branch that juts from the base of her nest.  She appeared to be surveying the yard, as a sentinel high in the mast of a ship.  She must have known where this youngster was all along.  Had she waited for him to crawl down on his own? Was it tough love, but there if she was needed? She was certainly ready when he called for her help.  I sighed, speaking words of encouragement and apology to Mama Squirrel, and went back inside for the night. 

I may have rescued a young squirrel from a painful death, but this day Mama Squirrel, who risked her life to defend and rescue her nearly grown youngsters, was my hero.  

Next up, Part III - Richmond Wildlife Center and how Baby Squirrel is doing. 

Quick update 4/13/2013 - Baby squirrel wounds are healing, but she is not eating on her own and is currently being hand-fed.