OT squirrel rescuing baby squirrel

8 years ago

Sorry for the bad quality photo - my neighbor took it yesterday. She told me she was out in front of her house, and saw a crow chasing a squirrel who was running on the ground. Very weird behavior, so she looked closer. She said the squirrel had two tales - one where it was supposed to be, and one around its neck. She realized the squirrel was carrying a baby squirrel! Perhaps it fell out of its nest, and the crow went after it, and it was being rescued. My neighbor chased the crow away, and the squirrel(s) got away. Here is a fuzzy pic, but you can see the extra tale.

Jackie

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ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9

8 years ago

I have to say I do intervene in nature, but it was my husband who found a tiny baby squirrel hobbling along, with no chance of surviving. We took it in, named it Sammie, and raised it until it was about 4 months old, when it let us know it needed it to be free. She disappeared for two years after staying on our property for about six months and allowing us to get quite close. We thought we'd never see her again, but she then reappeared with her two children, stayed for a while, and then left, leaving her youngsters behind. She did the same thing the next year. This year she came again and is still with us. We think that because of the drought it was difficult for her to find other places with adequate water and food. She is the only one of the squirrels who will actually look into our faces and will allow me to get very close.

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Comments (10)

boncrow66
8 years ago
Oh my goodness! Poor momma and baby squirrel! I bet they were so scared, I'm glad she saved the baby, that crow would have eaten it for sure. I have saved baby birds from the crows before, they are vicious birds.
ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
8 years ago
We have ravens, not crows, but they engage in the same behavior. I got so sick (literally) of seeing baby bird parts in the water that I haven't filled one of the bird baths for a while. Still, this morning I saw a pitiful little leg bone and some fuzzy down in the dry bird bath. I shouldn't get so upset on behalf of these little creatures because it's a part of nature, but it's so hard to see. I hope momma and baby squirrel are okay. How brave of her to rescue her little one out in the open like that.
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This is a bit late but these small animals may be easier to kill but it is very easy to live catcb and drop them in another suita le area or have a rescue do it. There may be large numbers of some animals but they have natural predators that will keep the populations down and are needed alive so there is plenty of food for those predators. As far as fruit trees go havent you heard of putting something around the tree so the animals cant climb it or something else to keep the squirrels from your trees. All animals serve a purpose possums are the only marsupial we have in the usa they are 8 times least likely to have rabies than a dog they are related to koalas and kangaroos and are completely harmless to us and at the most they play posdum or bare their teeth but its just a fake out then they just run they are scared and should be they are pretty defenseless they are VERY. Important they are very good for yards and gardens they eat all the bad bugs and things and are the cleaners of the earth they eat all the. Dead things and without them the earth would be out of balance and wed be overrun with rotting drad carrion and things. Besides that possums are very sweet and they are blamed for getging in garbage but they are not to blame raccoons or other animals get the garbage out and naturally any animal passing. By will check it out. Ieave my garbage bags out and neither my wild raccoons or possums get into it maybe because its in A good bag thats closed and in a can with a tight lid(no temptation for raccoons) but i had an open bag sitting outside and watched all evening and the possums never went near it not once. Possums are wonderful little animals that have gotten a bad rap and they are far from a pest they are a benefit to the earth and if lucky enough to have around your yard they are great for your flower garden. You know you all are are kill happy. We are bigger but they deserve to live too, im sure we put a crimp in their life somewhat too. Please try to animal proof your fruit trees and if all else fail please either get a rescue to live trap or live trap its very easy and leave them in another good location they may or may not have to travel a little before findind an area not taken by another but theyd prefer that instead of being dead im sure. Please put yourself in their place before taking the little bit quicker easier way out. You will feel much better for it. We are bigger then they are but PLEASE see them as something with its own life and not just a pest, PLEASE!!!
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I'm glad to have read Jim'a post; lately we have had lots of squirrels sitting under our feeder (and jumping onto it), and a new cat in the neighborhood sitting right under the feeder as well. This wouldn't be such a big deal except that we have a Wheaten terrier, Neve, a lovely but slightly airheaded member of the family who considers herself the watchdog and will chase any animal she thinks shouldn't be there (but she loves people). Wheatens have strong farm-dog instincts to "take care of" any smaller varmints that are on the property. So now that the feeder is attracting not only birds but cats and squirrels, we are having to be careful about letting Neve out the door. A couple of weeks ago Neve caught a squirrel by the tail. We were shocked that she was that quick (and, frankly, that smart). The squirrel escaped, and now, after reading Jim's post, am I ever glad! I think Neve might have gotten the worse end of it. Also, lately we have had several beautiful bunnies spending their time in our yard (outside the dogs' fence) and we have been so thrilled to see them. They have gotten used to us and don't run away. But the other night we heard awful screams and feared that this new cat had caught one of our bunny friends. The screaming (or perhaps meowing) was awful. It was definitely not two cats fighting. But we looked out the window to see the cat walking up our street alone, as if he'd lost the fight. Oh, the drama of wildlife here in the suburbs! I am glad to have read Jim's post; I will be extra careful before letting Neve out the door. I'm not sure Neve would survive a bunny or squirrel or cat fight!
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garden nut z9b
8 years ago
crows are vicious i used to regularly get crow fledglings in my backyard and when i had to move them a safe spot away from my dogs i'd get dive bombed, but i coulndt let the poor things get eaten or ran over by cars. now our neighbor removed the trees so they no longer nest leaving my only problem to be finches that fly into the back window or fall in the fountain and get to wet to fly
nikthegreek
8 years ago
I tend not to intervene in nature's big game of life.. unless there's a cat being chased by my dogs..
Hans
8 years ago
I don't intervene either when my cats chase baby crows with a nice rate of success.
mustbnuts zone 9 sunset 9
8 years ago
I hope mama and baby are OK. I hate crows. Just like you Ingrid, I got sick of dead bird parts in my fountain because of them. Luckily, mama and daddy magpies, scrub jays and doves chased them out of my yard on a permanent basis. Their reward for doing that? Fresh, home grown figs!

One of the saddest things I saw on my way home from work was a dead adult squirrel laying on its back at the edge of the road. There was a much younger squirrel behind the dead squirrel's head, with its hands underneath the dead squirrel's arms, trying to lift it to safety. The dead squirrel was too big and too heavy for the young squirrel to lift and carry. It could only raise the dead squirrel's shoulders up and down. I still burst out in tears when I think about it. Yes, call me an old softie. On the other hand, when one of those squirrels tries to get my figs, I have a total fit!
sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
8 years ago
I hope the mama and baby are safe. I can't resist intervening if its something going on in my yard lol. Usually its something trying to eat my chickens. One year we had a baby squirrel on the ground crying out. Eyes were still shut. Normally I would just have left him and wsited for mama to come get him. The neighbors tomcat was out to get him. I turned the hose on that cat a few times but after a while he would return. Finally I just took the baby and gave her to our cat Snickers. Nooo she didn't eat him. She nursed him! She loves all babies. He grew up w her kittens.
boncrow66
8 years ago
Jasmine that is so adorable! I have seen that before with cats taking in orphaned infants, it's amazing. What happened to the baby squirrel?

And Ingrid I love your squirel story too, I thinks it's awesome your squirel would come back and have her babies. And your probably right about her sticking around during the drought.
nippstress - zone 5 Nebraska
8 years ago
What sweet stories about the squirrels - Jackie with the original brave squirrel mom, Ingrid with the squirrel that thinks she's the mom (or grandma, if you count the babies) and Jasmine with the absolutely dear photos of the mama cat and kittens with the baby squirrel! It's heartwarming to see and hear of the care these squirrels take (but I'm still mad at them for chewing so much wood off my roses and apple trees this mild winter).

Cynthia

OT squirrel rescuing baby squirrel

ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9

Comments (10)

boncrow66

ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9

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