Fell from Nest, Nest Destroyed, Tree Trimmed

Squirrels are very good mothers, and mom should retrieve the baby, even if she detects human scent.   Mother squirrels make extra nests as a backup if the nursery nest becomes overcrowded, damaged, or infested with parasites.  Just because one nest has been destroyed doesn’t mean that they don’t have a home.  Give mom an opportunity to relocate her young. If the babies did not get injured from the fall (no bruises/scrapes/cuts/head injury), the mother should retrieve them.

Mother should return, retrieve babies one by one, and move to alternate nest site. Occasionally, mom will leave only one baby. This is probably done because she’s exhausted and can’t count.

• Step One: Warm the Baby

Hot Hands: these hold heat for up to 8 hours and are the best alternate heat source to use when trying to reunite.

Ziploc bag: Fill a Ziploc bag with warm (not hot) water, put it inside another Ziploc bag – the double bag guards against leaks and prevents the animal from getting wet and chilled. Cover the bag with a small non-terrycloth towel, fleece cloth, or t-shirt and place the baby on it.

Rice bag: You can also fill a sock or knee-high pantyhose with uncooked dry rice. Microwave the rice-filled sock for 30 to 60 seconds. This heat source will last about 20 to 30 minutes. Place the rice sock in the container under the towel, and place the animal on or near it, but not directly in contact with the rice sock.

• Step Two: Wait for Mom

1) If it is not raining or snowing, after the baby is warmed, place the squirrel in a shoe box with a soft rag at the bottom.  Do not put the lid on the shoe box. If the temperature is cool or if the baby is hairless, you will need to put the Ziploc/rice bag with it. Important: Do not put baby in a deep box or container. Mom will perceive this as a trap and will not retrieve the babies.  Please email a picture of the baby so I can get an idea of what its overall physical state is.

2) Tie, staple or nail the shoebox up in the tree as high as you can get it.

Mom is more likely to reclaim a baby off the side of the tree instead of on the ground.  She runs up and down the tree in a circular motion, so she’ll come across it.  This also keeps cats and dogs away from them.

3) If you have a smart phone – google “squirrel distress call” and play it.  This activates mom’s rooting instinct and she’ll try to locate the source of the sound.   If it’s safe for you to put your phone near the box and play the call – this link runs in a loop for 1 hour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgXnLN9w5BA

• Step Three: Warm, Dark, and Quiet if babies are unclaimed by dark
  

Heating Pad: If you have a heating pad, set to low and place the box half on/off the pad, so baby can move away from the heat if needed.  Squirrels go to sleep at night, so the babies need to be brought in at dark and hydrated following the directions from the link below or use unflavored Pedialyte. Try again at first light.

https://owl-online.org/its-after-hours-how-do-i-care-for-an-animal/

Repeat Step One at dawn the next day.

If they haven’t been reclaimed by noon – call us 785-542-3625 and we’ll get you in.

Important:   If the winds are blowing hard, tree trimmers are still in the area, kids or pets outside mom will stay somewhere safe.  She understands that we are predators and will not go near her babies until it’s quiet.   Remove pets, kids and allow the tree trimmers to leave prior to attempting a reunite.  For trees that are cut down completely – put the box on the stump.   The mom will often come back to the location the tree was at.

Here is a link for more information on squirrels.                        https://owl-online.org/animal-guide/squirrel/

Each baby squirrel costs OWL $ 125 each to raise (that’s just the food – we keep them for 20 weeks) – we want to give mom the best chance to retrieve her young – it’s the best outcome for them and us.    If you do end up bringing them in – please consider donating to help with their care.  Our finances are finite, and we don’t get outside funding from the government – just the people that bring the animals to us.

Tree Trimming:  Until tree trimming is done and everyone has left, keep the babies safely inside. Follow the same instructions as above in Warm, Dark, and Quiet.  If the mother hasn’t retrieved the baby in 24 hours she is NOT GOING TOO and you need to contact OWL.

What NOT to DO

• Do NOT Feed

If the baby is hungry it will cry in distress and mom will have a better chance of locating it by the sound.  If it has a full belly and is quiet the chances of her retrieving the baby are minimized.  Please do not feed the squirrel any formula. It needs 24 hours of re-hydrating fluids before it receives formula. There are various formulas on the Internet, and while some are good, most are not. Licensed rehabilitators know the proper food, amount, and method for feeding baby squirrels. If you feed them incorrectly, fluids can get in their lungs and cause pneumonia, which can be fatal. Most often, it is better to do nothing than to do something incorrectly. The most important thing is to keep the baby warm.

• Do NOT Raise

We often receive baby squirrels that people have tried to raise themselves. They usually have problems such as bloat, diarrhea, hair loss, pneumonia, and metabolic bone disease. They also have been habituated to humans, which means release back into the wild is difficult or impossible. We never raise a baby animal by itself – squirrels (and other babies) are always properly socialized with their own kind.