Meet the Simpson clan! These 7 squirrels were brought into the care of my son Adam and I in late August and September. Adam is also a licensed wildlife rehabillitator, and works summers at the Birdneck Animal Hospital. Let us introduce you to Homer, Bart, Lisa, Itchy, Scratchy, Santa's little helper, and Snowball!
Bart and Lisa arrived first. At 4 weeks old, and Lisa still with her eyes still not opened yet, they were the victim of a tree removal service whose workers sadly cared not to try and re-nest them and reunite them with momma. Next arrived Santa's little helper, a newborn less that 1 week old. His eyes and ears were still sealed shut. Pink, fur-less and helpless, with much bruising and swelling on his head from the fall from his nest, likely due to the high winds from the storm the previous evening. Next arrived Itchy and Scratchy around three weeks of age. Homer, the oldest of age at his arrival, joined the group next. Little Snowball was the last addition, acquired from another wildlife rehabilitator solely for the purpose of keeping Santa's little helper company. Squirrels are very social animals and should not be raised alone without the company and socialization of other squirrels.
Bart, Lisa, Itchy and Scratchy (pictured to the right) were all raised without incident. They flourished on the specialized formula fed to them multiple times a day, and gradually weaned onto solid foods. Homer is also in this picture.
Santa's little helper (pictured to the left) was formula fed every 2 hours (pictured below) from 6AM until 10PM plus a middle of the night feeding. Yes, I set the alarm and woke up in the middle of the night to feed this baby! The odds are always stacked against a baby coming in this small, and under these conditions. We know not how long the baby was without the warmth and nourishment from mom, nor how long he was in the elements, nor if there is any unidentified internal damage. But I would do my best to give him every chance, and that included middle of the night feedings, supplemental electrolytes, vitamins, antibiotic, worming treatments and subcutaneous fluids as needed. He was housed in an incubator like setting with controlled humidity and warmth, and eventually with the company of Snowball.
Homer arrived on the scene with a small wound on his belly. Despite topical treatment, the wound began to grow into a sizable lump. One of the many benefits of having a veterinarian in the house, is that Adam and I can have our wildlife's veterinary needs tended to right in our home! Wayne lanced the lump, and the result was finding a cuterebra. A cuterebra is a bot fly larvae, also known as warbles. It is not rare to find these in wildlife and sometimes pets, but I was glad to have it removed by Dr. Wayne. The wound healed nicely.
Over the nest 3 weeks Santa's little helper's head bruising and swelling went away completely (as seen above)! The very beginning of fur began to grow in on his back and tail. His ears began to unfold from his head. I was cautiously optimistic, feeling as though we had made it through the critical first 48 hours. Sadly, despite my very best efforts and the daily evaluation and assistance of Dr. Wayne, I was not able to save Santa's little helper. I feel that he must have suffered internal injury during the fall that bruised his head so badly. A very, very sad day for us all, for we had all grown attached to this little fighter. However, I was comforted in knowing that I provided warmth, nourishment and love to a critter whom otherwise would have suffered a cold and starving death out in the wild. As a result of Santa's little helper passing, I returned Snowball to the rehabilitator I originally acquired him from because he was too young to be put in the same housing as the other Simpsons.
In October, the remaining 5; Homer, Bart, Lisa, Itchy and Scratchy were released to the wide wild world! As always, a squirrel house was attached to a tree in the woods where they were released because research shows that squirrels released with a squirrel box home, as opposed to building their own nest, called a drey, have a higher probability of success and a longer life span.
If you should encounter baby wildlife, please do not offer it food or water. The wrong food can cause serious digestive problems and a hungry baby is more apt to cry for it's mother and she will be able to find it more easily. Please call the organization which I am associated with for immediate advice:
Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge (757) 430-2886
Thank you for taking the time to read about another of my successful rehabilitation and release stories. I welcome your comments!
~ Kim Johnson
Saving wildlife, one tail at a time.......