What to do if you find an injured squirrel

Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day!

The creator of the day, Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitator affiliated with the Western North Carolina Nature Center, says the day can be observed by taking part in anything from putting out extra food for the squirrels to learning something new about the species.

So what can you do to celebrate all these squirrels on Squirrel Appreciation Day? We think it’s the perfect opportunity to brush up on some squirrel safety from our friends at the Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge.

Did you know a newborn squirrel is only about an inch long? If you find a baby squirrel with unopened eyes, put it in a warm cloth or sock and place in a small box, according to Shades of Hope. Squirrels this young are not normally out of their nest yet. If you find such a tiny squirrel, contact your closest wildlife rehabilitation centre.

If you find a baby squirrel that has opened eyes, but appears to be abandoned, leave it alone and watch it for a few hours. Usually, the mother is not far away. If the baby is truly abandoned, place the squirrel in a covered box and then call your local wildlife rehabilitation centre.

If you find an injured squirrel, carefully place it in a lined small box without food or water and then contact the wildlife rehabilitation centre, like Shades of Hope. They will either direct you to a veterinarian or request that the animal be brought to their animal rehab program.

Squirrels are pretty impressive little creatures. They can smell food buried under a foot of snow and don’t usually dig up all of their buried nuts, which results in more trees for everyone to enjoy. That’s a pretty great reason to appreciate squirrels.

Squirrel safety tips adapted from: https://shadesofhope.ca/whattodo.html