So we just came upon a very young squirrel on the sidewalk by the house-- not infant, but very confused (seems stunned, perhaps). There’s no tree immediately nearby so we don’t know where he might have come from. Right now I have him in a box on the porch with a little bit of raw milk, bits of fruit and nuts, and he’s sort of burrowing into a couple of hand towels.
Now what? Help? Is there something we can do to help him make it until he’s old enough to be really viable? How long would that be?
Can’t see him from here, so I cannot directly evaluate his need for help.
Juvenile animals frequently become confused and may wander into areas that endanger them. But if this is the case, the only action necessary or appropriate would be to return the squirrel to the nearest trees.
Baby squirrels wean and are on their own from about the time their tails fluff out. If the tail is still thin like a rat’s tail, or brushy in a flat single plane like a feather, it probably needs care. If the tail is bushy all around like a feather duster, it is old enough to be on its own.
Traumatic injury is possible, but there is no way I can evaluate it from here. If the animal has no obvious wounds, and seems to locomote in a normal manner (i.e., uses all four limbs, holds head in a seemingly normal position, etc) then the “back to the trees” suggestion is also appropriate.
If it is actually a baby, or if it has traumatic injury, best course is to seek a qualified wildllife rehabilitator in your area.
This link will give more information, and suggest some possible ways to search for a rehabilitator.
Ok, I noted on a rehab site that I shouldn’t feed him anything so I got rid of the food and such before he had a chance. Right now he’s comfortably asleep in a pile of tea towels-- he seemed delighted to burrow in and conk out. He seems pretty semi-mature/juvie-- small but definitely squirreley. With fur on his tail, but somewhere between planar and bushy. Maybe he’s ok (I hope so, since I can’t find any rehabbers within 50 miles).
Thanks for the information-- I feel better about his chances.
Whenever you find a possibly sick/hurt animal, call a local veterinarian for advice before you do anything. They should know who/where to take him.
Ok, I found the closest rehab people online (another site listed someone in the next town) and got Scamper (yes, I named him already) delivered safely into their hands. Yay.
Excellent! Congratulations, you have done the best possible thing for him/her/it.
Excellent advice for companion animals, livestock, and domestic animals. Not always such good advice in regard to wildlife. Some veterinarians are quite knowledgeable and familiar with wild animals, and may include them in their practice. Others though lack this specialized knowledge. (I say this only as a case of free choice on the part of the veterinarian, not a value judgement or a criticism.) Sadly, some of the most damaging advice we have ever seen employed has been given to concerned members of the public faced with a wild animal emergency, by well meaning veterinarians who were simply out of their element.
In the case of wildlife, we suggest not intervening at all unless there is a genuine emergency. Most apparent “emergencies” are in fact misunderstandings of normal situations and/or behaviors. If there is indeed a genuine emergency (like traumatic injury) a wildlife rehabilitator will be able to offer the best evaluation and advice for the situation. And, if necessary, provide whatever care is needed.