Here are the first steps to follow when you find a baby squirrel
First steps
- Determine what kind of animal it is, is it a squirrel, a rat or an opossum?
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- Baby squirrels have black nails.
- Do not feed the baby or give it fluids.
- Feeding can do more harm than good. You can get liquid into the baby’s lungs.
- We want the baby hungry so it vocalizes and Mom can hear it.
- Keep the baby secure in a dark, quiet environment (like a box away from people and animals).
- Keep the baby warm and comfortable in the box, line it with fabric.
- Resist the urge to touch or comfort the baby. Unlike domestic animals, wild babies respond with fear and are stressed by human interaction.
What happened?
- Mama squirrels are excellent mothers and should always be given the opportunity to collect their baby.
- Babies often fall out of nests or are knocked out, and Mama will come down the tree to check on the baby and bring it back home.
- If the nest is destroyed by high winds or tree-trimming, she will move the babies to her backup nest.
- The time you spend reuniting is far less than it is to rehabilitate, and we don’t want to kidnap babies!
Next steps
- If the baby looks healthy and uninjured, place him in a box short enough that Mama can climb in and out of with the baby in her mouth.
- Line the box with soft fabric-not towels- and place “Hot Hands” underneath the fabric or a heating pad set on low.
- Place the box on top of towels as insulation against the cold or wet soil.
- Set the box out under the tree you think the baby fell from.
Wait at least 24 hours to give Mama a chance!
Caution!
- Stay back from the box and baby and instruct children to stay away.
- Keep dogs (and cats!) inside or walk them on leashes.
- Let the Mama have a chance to collect her baby-don’t keep checking to see if she has, you don’t want to frighten her away.
After you’ve planned the reunion
- I know it seems cruel to not feed the baby but we need it to vocalize by crying for Mama to hear where it is.
- Resist the temptation to care for it beyond keeping it warm.
- Leave the box at the bottom of the tree where you found it or as close as possible, even if the tree the nest was in has been cut down.
- Don’t leave the baby out overnight, Mama won’t be looking for it and they are vulnerable to predators.
Weather conditions
- What if it’s raining?
- Place the box in a plastic bin turned on it’s side. Mamas are extremely motivated to reunite with their babies.
- If it’s stormy:
- keep the baby inside until the storm passes.
- If it’s close to sunset:
- wait until morning to put the baby back outside.
- Remember, don’t give the baby anything to eat or drink. Mama needs to hear the baby crying.
When to call the rehabilitator
- Hopefully after 24 or 36 hours, Mama will have retrieved the baby. It would be unusual for her to abandon it!
- If you see a dead squirrel in front of your house that doesn’t mean it’s that Mama (it could be a male).
- If after 36 hours the baby is still there, call your local wildlife rehabilitator.
Transporting
- When transporting the baby, keep it in a lidded box with soft fabric.
- Keep the car warm and quiet- no radio or talking.
- Don’t let a child “comfort” the baby, ever. A car ride may be scary but it’s worse when a big predator is vocalizing and touching you!