Guess who i rescued yesterday...

[buggi]

.... talk about right time, right place!

Was cycling to work and rode past a baby squirrel in the road. My first thought was, it's dead. But then, for some reason (probably because I'm a soppy cow) I decided to just check to make sure...

So turned my bike round and lo and behold the poor little bugger was alive and up on his feet. So i picked him up out the road and, while i was deciding where to put the little blighter so his mom could come for him, I quickly took this picture...



and then turned around and realised I was right the first time, there, just a few feet away, lay the dead one. Awww!!! so i looked up in the tree to see if i could see the nest, or mum and...

OMG...

there is only another one clinging on to a leaf (at the end of a twig at the end of a branch) for dear life!!! He was obviously in a spot of trouble and i knew he wouldn't be able to hold on for long. He was calling his mom but there was no sign of her at all, and he was too young to climb back up. I knew it was only a matter of time before he fell 12 feet. So i waited...

and waited...

and waited...

(by this time i was well late for work but o well... you can't put a price on a life can you??)

and waited...

and then...

well... it was the definitely the best catch of my life...



I put them at the bottom of the tree and backed off about 20 foot and waited.

and waited...

and waited...

but no sign of mum...

but by now i was getting VERY late for work.

so i phone the animal sanctuary a mile away and, after some discussion, we decided it was probably better if i brought them in because they were way too young to be out of the nest, i had seen no sign of mom for well over an hour, not even a rustle in the tree, (and apparently they can be quite protective of their young!) and the tree was only 1 foot from the main road (easy crawling distance which they were capable of). They said possibly mum hadn't come back (met a dodgy end) so the babies had come out, or the nest had been attacked.

So they got a ride in my saddle bag, and the two little lads (they were definitely boys!) are doing fine at the animal sanctuary. Shame about the 3rd one but if he hadn't of died I'd never have stopped.

Also, turns out i may not be much good at catching a ball... but I've got it when it really counts

 

[buggi]

Shaun, does this mean i get upgraded from Bird Saviour to Animal Saviour??

 

[Ganymede]

I tried to rescue an injured adult squirrel once. It bit me to the bone.

 

[RAYMOND]

Probably thought you was nuts Ganymede

 

[buggi]

Ouch! yea, there is a certain age up to which you can handle them!1 the animal sanctuary said to me "be careful they don't bite" and i was like, "well, i've been holding them already so it's a bit late for that advice" ha ha.

My mum once rescued one off a magpie (she's a sucker too!) and it hadn't even opened it's eyes. She brought it to me, i was a bit surprised, she just pulled up in the car and said "do something with that" and drove off... and when i unwrapped her folded jumper, i was met with this cute little "foetus". His eyes hadn't even opened! think he was about 5 days old.

So... a bit of research later (including a call to the RSPCA who advised on feeding/routines) i found myself foster mum to baby squirrel and raised him until he was 6 months old (sleepless nights and everything, i was like a proper mum, only for a shorter period ha ha). You never seen anything so cute in your life, i would feed him with an eye dropper and he'd wrap his long fingers round it and suck. so bloody cute!!! Anyway, he was a boy, we called him Rusty and he eventually went to live at the local animal sanctuary in a much more suitable environment. I loved that little bugger, was so sad to give him up.

 

[jefmcg]

OK, this is going to get me in trouble but .... an animal shelter takes and raises grey squirrels? More power to you @buggi for rescuing the little cuties, but I am amazed that a shelter would protect an invasive species.

(still disturbed by memories of leaving a rabbit presumably infected with myxomatosis dying by an Australian road)

 

[buggi]

OK, this is going to get me in trouble but .... an animal shelter takes and raises grey squirrels? More power to you @buggi for rescuing the little cuties, but I am amazed that a shelter would protect an invasive species.

(still disturbed by memories of leaving a rabbit presumably infected with myxomatosis dying by an Australian road)

I think it's not illegal to take them in, but it is illegal to release them again. A lifetime of captivity beckons.

Tiny is correct, you can take them in but you are not supposed to release them.

Also, it may surprise you to know that it's not as invasive a species as people think... the decline of red squirrels is due more to the fact that humans have dessimated their natural habitat (as we continue to do so with all creatures across the world). As for the disease that the grey squirrels are supposed to harbour, they too were once susceptible to it, but over time developed an immunity. The red squirrel is now also developing an immunity and this, coupled with wildlife's charities efforts to increase their numbers, is why the red squirrel is making a comeback. Typically, it's human's blaming another species for its own reckless behaviour. we are the most destructive animal on this planet.

 

[TheDoctor]

Yay! to you, Buggi!
Grey squiggles are great - had a few generations of them in the garden. Very cute and clever animals. It was a surprise having one coming in through my bedroom window on its way downstairs to where the peanuts live though...

 

[Yellow Fang]

Hopefully if either grows up to marry and have kids, he'll name his first daughter after you.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Way to go, this is the sort of thing I'd do too, so you are in good company!!

That said, the last thing I did was acquire a Seagull that had been hit by a car. I took it home in a cardboard box, cleaned up it's wounds and let it have peace and quiet overnight in the garage.

It had died the next morning, but at least it died in (relative) comfort as a pose to it having a horrendous end out on the roads.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I'm also known for rescuing insects and other small animals, although I lost one of my lifes earlier as I had to kill a wasp that my Dad had sprayed with some evil fly spray. I put it out of its misery, but I have not actually killed a wasp for many many years! I made it quick, squashing it thoroughly.

I never intentionally kill things you see, even wasps.

 

[Accy cyclist]

A nice story and a happy ending!

 

[buggi]

I'm also known for rescuing insects and other small animals, although I lost one of my lifes earlier as I had to kill a wasp that my Dad had sprayed with some evil fly spray. I put it out of its misery, but I have not actually killed a wasp for many many years! I made it quick, squashing it thoroughly.

I never intentionally kill things you see, even wasps.

apparently if wasps died out the world would be covered in a 93 mile deep pile of cabbage aphid, they are the most prolific breeding species. O yea, and that is just from one female! Kind of makes you like wasps doesn't it!

edit: Within a year!!!

 

[EltonFrog]

Good for you buggi, I love squirrels me, I'd do the same. I hope you didn't get a bollicking at work.

 

[Ganymede]

Probably thought you was nuts Ganymede

WOt, mE..?

Tiny is correct, you can take them in but you are not supposed to release them.

Also, it may surprise you to know that it's not as invasive a species as people think... the decline of red squirrels is due more to the fact that humans have dessimated their natural habitat (as we continue to do so with all creatures across the world). As for the disease that the grey squirrels are supposed to harbour, they too were once susceptible to it, but over time developed an immunity. The red squirrel is now also developing an immunity and this, coupled with wildlife's charities efforts to increase their numbers, is why the red squirrel is making a comeback. Typically, it's human's blaming another species for its own reckless behaviour. we are the most destructive animal on this planet.

That's interesting to hear about the red ones getting immunity - good news.

It is true that the greys are a great pest of young trees, and they are often shot round here. I have to confess that I do know what grey squirrel tastes like... Very good, a bit fiddly, better than rabbit!

But they are extremely cute and round here it is like an early Disney film with birdies tweeting and little squizzers bounding around in their fluffy way. They are quite notable predators of nests but hey, Nature is Red In Tooth And Claw.