KristinSuzanne
10-03-2008, 01:30 PM
Hello, I'm new here and pretty green w/rehabilitation as well...please keep this mind as you read my issue.
Territory...hmmmm this is a grey area (pun intended) and perhaps a serious matter I'm finding....I had also released a few rehabbed squirrels in my back yard this past spring. They took residency in a big pine tree across the street from my house. However, I still see them almost daily in my yard scrounging around. Particularly a female named Adrian. She is the most friendly and will still come to me and take food right from my hand. I recall when she was in captivity how aggressive she could be. She would taunt/tease the other two males she was caged with a lot. Taking food from their mouths even though she had the same exact food in her hands already. Causing the males to grunt and cry, it was like she enjoyed being domineering. Anyway, I haven't had any squirrels since she and her pack were released, until this week, a male about 9 wks.came in with suspected Poisoning he had ingested (traps people put out) causing his nose to Bleed, become stuffy/runny, and labored breathing. He appeared to be healing beautifully, quickly. That was w/in a day after admittance. One afternoon after returning from the office I went into the rehab shed to check on him, he was grunting, stiff, anxious and seemed very stressed. Totally different demeanor from the little mellow guy I had left that morning, seemingly on the mend. As I looked around I noticed one of the baby blankets I had left on the chair next to his cage on the floor shredded to pieces!! Like we had been visited by a raccoon. However, the rest of the shed wasn't disturbed at all. A raccoon would make a mess of everything...Also we don't even have raccoons in our yard. Never, not ever have we even seen one! Plus they’re most usually nocturnal. So we surmised that it was perhaps Adrian who had shredded the blanket to torment our new guest! That coupled with his complete change in demeanor, it was obvious that something had scared him to death. Literally. He passed away last night, about 24 hrs later. He appeared to be in Shock. Listless, barely eating, drinking, inability to walk or use his limbs...His legs were wet (most likely pee) and he had no interest in formula or pedialyte. Nibbled a bit of carrot and one raisin, and I barely got two syringes in him.
Could this have been Stress that killed him from the female squirrel tormenting him, in addition to being in captivity?? We suspect it is but would like others opinions and takes on the matter. If it was from her then Yes, Territory is a Huge factor in releasing these animals in the same area. And as much as I would like to release them all near my home I will take them to the nature park a few miles away rather then risk this potentially happening again. Adrian is obviously not going anywhere...Strange I thought it was the males who were more aggressive!?? Not always.
Territory...hmmmm this is a grey area (pun intended) and perhaps a serious matter I'm finding....I had also released a few rehabbed squirrels in my back yard this past spring. They took residency in a big pine tree across the street from my house. However, I still see them almost daily in my yard scrounging around. Particularly a female named Adrian. She is the most friendly and will still come to me and take food right from my hand. I recall when she was in captivity how aggressive she could be. She would taunt/tease the other two males she was caged with a lot. Taking food from their mouths even though she had the same exact food in her hands already. Causing the males to grunt and cry, it was like she enjoyed being domineering. Anyway, I haven't had any squirrels since she and her pack were released, until this week, a male about 9 wks.came in with suspected Poisoning he had ingested (traps people put out) causing his nose to Bleed, become stuffy/runny, and labored breathing. He appeared to be healing beautifully, quickly. That was w/in a day after admittance. One afternoon after returning from the office I went into the rehab shed to check on him, he was grunting, stiff, anxious and seemed very stressed. Totally different demeanor from the little mellow guy I had left that morning, seemingly on the mend. As I looked around I noticed one of the baby blankets I had left on the chair next to his cage on the floor shredded to pieces!! Like we had been visited by a raccoon. However, the rest of the shed wasn't disturbed at all. A raccoon would make a mess of everything...Also we don't even have raccoons in our yard. Never, not ever have we even seen one! Plus they’re most usually nocturnal. So we surmised that it was perhaps Adrian who had shredded the blanket to torment our new guest! That coupled with his complete change in demeanor, it was obvious that something had scared him to death. Literally. He passed away last night, about 24 hrs later. He appeared to be in Shock. Listless, barely eating, drinking, inability to walk or use his limbs...His legs were wet (most likely pee) and he had no interest in formula or pedialyte. Nibbled a bit of carrot and one raisin, and I barely got two syringes in him.
Could this have been Stress that killed him from the female squirrel tormenting him, in addition to being in captivity?? We suspect it is but would like others opinions and takes on the matter. If it was from her then Yes, Territory is a Huge factor in releasing these animals in the same area. And as much as I would like to release them all near my home I will take them to the nature park a few miles away rather then risk this potentially happening again. Adrian is obviously not going anywhere...Strange I thought it was the males who were more aggressive!?? Not always.