If You Found A Squirrel

Please consider all of the following  IMPORTANT information and then make the choice to do what is best for the baby squirrel and its future.

Reuniting uninjured tree squirrel babies with their mom

A squirrel’s real mom is the best mom. We should try to do anything we can to reunite the baby with its natural mom. That is first priority if possible.

We find babies on the ground after high winds and storms have  knocked the nest out, after tree trimmers have cut the nest down, if one  sibling has kicked the other out because of limited milk supply, if one  just fell out while playing, if one is sick or injured or if mom has  died and the babies are trying to look for food on their own. If there  is a chance that mom is still alive and healthy, she will most  definitely try to retrieve her baby if her baby is warm and healthy.  

If her baby is not warm but healthy, we must warm the baby up  before trying to reunite. Mom won’t take back a cold baby. She will  think it is sick or dying. You can warm the baby up by placing it in a  box half on a heating pad on low with a t-shirt or some fabric on the  bottom. You can also fill a plastic water bottle with warm water, cover  it with a sock and place it near the baby. You can warm the bottle in  the microwave slightly every few hours to keep it warm. A glass jar of  warm water with a lid, and those heat get packs also work. Some put a  hot wet washcloth in a ziploc bag and place it under a t-shirt under the  baby. Just make sure it’s not too hot or you can easily burn a baby.   If her baby is injured or disabled, we must contact an experienced  wildlife rehabilitator as quickly as possible. Mom won’t take back an  injured or disabled baby. Be sure to thoroughly inspect the babies. Mom  won’t mind if your scent is on them but you could also rub dirt on your  gloves from the local area before touching them just to be safe. If you  have two healthy squirrels and one dead squirrel, remove the dead baby  and try to reunite the other two. 

1. MAKE A NEST. I use small cardboard boxes a foot or so  square and maybe six to 12 inches deep. You can also use a basket. I  then gather some natural nest materials from the area where the baby is  found. I will put leaves in the box built up in the shape of a donut  with the babies in the middle. Make sure they can’t climb out. If it’s  very sunny, put a few leaves over the babies to protect them. If they’re  old enough, they will pull some leaves over themselves. If it’s cold  out, you can leave your warming device in the box with the babies such  as the latex glove or warm gel pack. 

2. PUT NEST UP A TREE. We must put the nest back up into  the tree where the babies fell. I try to go up 8-10 feet which should be  high enough to protect the baby from dogs and cats. If there are birds  of prey in the area, try to hide the box in the branches. I just use  wire which I wrap around the main trunk and run through the box. If you  can wedge it in the crotch of two branches, even better. It doesn’t have  to be perfect because unlike birds, squirrels can carry their babies in  their mouths and move them. They will take the babies one by one to one  of their backup nests. I’ve seen a mom carry an 8 week old squirrel  partly in her mouth. The baby will wrap it’s legs around her neck to  hang on. If their tree has been cut down completely, put them in the  closest tree, on a nearby tall post, on top of anything 8-10 feet tall.  Some rehabbers will put the baby in a hanging basket on the tree.

If you have no cats, dogs or natural predators in the area that  might attack a baby on the ground, you can of course place the babies on  the ground in a box so they won’t crawl away. Place the box directly  under the tree where found. 

3. CALL MOM.  We must get the baby to call to its mom. When  they call to their mom they sound like little birds going “peeep peeep  peeep peeep.” You can also just hold one baby by the foot to make it  feel like it’s about to fall. It will call it’s mom for help. Obviously,  don’t let the baby fall. You will see most of the squirrels in the  immediate area come out to see what’s up. Hopefully one of them will be  mom. 

4. LEAVE IMMEDIATE AREA. Get away from the  area but stay close enough to keep an eye on them. I generally wait 2-3  hours in good weather or until dark, whichever comes first. If the baby  is found late at night or in hard rain, you can take the baby to your  facility, get it warm, hydrated then try to reunite it in the morning  when it’s clear. Mom won’t approach her babies if there are people or  animals around. Keep people away. Put up a perimeter with stakes, rope  and a sign if it’s a high traffic area. Mom will carry her baby like a  cat carries her kitten in her mouth. When they’re bigger, they will wrap  their legs around her neck to hold on. 

5.If Mom does not return after 3 hours or after you try again the next morning, it is time to take action.  Call an experienced wildlife rehabilitator right away..