Lost squirrel

[Kprat09]

I took in two orphaned babies. Male and female. I raised them from 4 weeks old to 8 weeks then decided they will be happier and have a safer release at a rehab. I took them today. At the rehabbers place the transfer from one cage to another the male got scared and ran away. I was able to get the female in the cage. We weren’t able to find him anywhere. The rehabber didn’t see too concerned but I am soo worried sick that he won’t make it. What are the odds he will return or survive on his own? I feel so terrible.

[stepnstone]

I took in two orphaned babies. Male and female. I raised them from 4 weeks old to 8 weeks then decided they will be happier and have a safer release at a rehab. I took them today. At the rehabbers place the transfer from one cage to another the male got scared and ran away. I was able to get the female in the cage. We weren’t able to find him anywhere.
The rehabber didn’t see too concerned but I am soo worried sick that he won’t make it. What are the odds he will return or survive on his own? I feel so terrible.

I'd be concerned about a "rehabber" who wasn't!
Eight weeks is too young to be on it's own. :shakehead

[Kprat09]

I'd be concerned about a "rehabber" who wasn't!
Eight weeks is too young to be on it's own. :shakehead

That just kills my heart. I thought I was doing the right thing by taking them to a rehab to get ready for release. Now I feel as if they would’ve been just fine in my care, which they were.

[Spanky]

Was the rehabber placing eight week old babies into an outdoor release cage when the escape occurred? If so, that is really too young to be out for release.

Is the sibling in an outdoor release cage all alone now?

[lukaslolamaus]

That is so sad :sadness
Can you go back there and search the area? Maybe he's hiding near by?

[Kprat09]

Was the rehabber placing eight week old babies into an outdoor release cage when the escape occurred? If so, that is really too young to be out for release.

Is the sibling in an outdoor release cage all alone now?


Yea she had outside “pre-release cages” on the porch where she was putting them. There are two other squirrels in the cages connected to hers.

[lukaslolamaus]

Can you get the baby back?

[TubeDriver]

The baby is almost certainly nearby. This rehabber should make a serious effort to recapture this little one.

[redwuff]

I am so sorry. This is very unfortunate. But the good news is that he has all of his teeth in now, and even tho is he too young, he can survive on his own, BUT would have a much easier time of it if he could be caught. I agree with Tubedriver that the baby is nearby.

Any chance you could go back and try and catch the baby. I have been successful catching young wilds that have injuries by putting shelled nuts in the back of a cage that has a door that slides up and down. I secure the cage with a heavy rock and tie a string ti the bottom of the slide down door, run the string underneath the cage and move 20’ or so away and wait. I break the shelled nuts into small pieces so if he grabs and runs out of the cage, I do not have to wait too much longer for him to go back for another piece. When the time is right I pull the string and the door slides down.

[redwuff]

I am so sorry. This is very unfortunate. But the good news is that he has all of his teeth in now, and even tho is he too young, he can survive on his own, BUT would have a much easier time of it if he could be caught. I agree with Tubedriver that the baby is nearby.

Any chance you could go back and try and catch the baby. I have been successful catching young wilds that have injuries by putting shelled nuts in the back of a cage that has a door that slides up and down. I secure the cage with a heavy rock and tie a string ti the bottom of the slide down door, run the string underneath the cage and move 20’ or so away and wait. I break the shelled nuts into small pieces so if he grabs and runs out of the cage, I do not have to wait too much longer for him to go back for another piece. When the time is right I pull the string and the door slides down.


Sorry, I meant unshelled nuts in the back of the cage.

[Kprat09]

Thank you all so much for replying with information and help! I’m going to contact the rehabber and see what we can do. I just hope he’s safe, healthy and fed! Poor guy :(