Tinybubbles46
07-22-2023, 10:37 PM
I'm looking for some guidance on the release of a wild, young squirrel that has been in my care.
About 7 weeks ago I took in a 3 month old wild, male, fox tree squirrel with a spinal injury. This squirrel had been living at my work before his injury and was only caught because we had noticed that he was dragging his hind end. He responded well to treatment and has since recovered full mobility in his hind legs. At this point he is ready to be rereleased. However, I'm use to doing soft releases with baby squirrels that have been in my care the majority of their lives. The question I have now is can I do a hard release in his original environment since he had been living outside prior to his injury and had a previously established nest? It's harder to do a soft release at my work site because of the amount of interference that may occur such as homeless individuals that frequently come on site during the nighttime hours. I can do a soft release if that is better for his survival but it will need to be done in a different environment. TIA.
About 7 weeks ago I took in a 3 month old wild, male, fox tree squirrel with a spinal injury. This squirrel had been living at my work before his injury and was only caught because we had noticed that he was dragging his hind end. He responded well to treatment and has since recovered full mobility in his hind legs. At this point he is ready to be rereleased. However, I'm use to doing soft releases with baby squirrels that have been in my care the majority of their lives. The question I have now is can I do a hard release in his original environment since he had been living outside prior to his injury and had a previously established nest? It's harder to do a soft release at my work site because of the amount of interference that may occur such as homeless individuals that frequently come on site during the nighttime hours. I can do a soft release if that is better for his survival but it will need to be done in a different environment. TIA.