HELP! My squirrel that I raised from a pinky bites only me!

[Krissyd1307]

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So, I have been rescuing abandoned baby squirrels for about 5 years now. I am up with them every two hours when they are pinkies and then every 3 to 4 hours as they grow. We release them in our backyard because we have a lot of trees, some of them stay around and some of them don’t, but the one that I have concerns with is the last one I let go, and his name is Sunny. He has started to attack me and only me, it is not every time, but I have absolutely no idea when it’s going to happen. He could be fine one minute and all of a sudden just go after me like a crazy squirrel. Even when I throw him off of me, he comes back for more, that’s how bad the attacks get. Of course, this is devastating since I hand raised him like the others and as fellow squirrel parents, I’m sure you can understand how hurt I am, (emotionally and physically). He has never bit anybody else and is very friendly, it is just me for some reason. I’m getting ready to release my new three rescued squirrels, and I am very afraid he’s going to run them off or attack them. Has anybody else ever had something like this happen to them? I have attached a couple photos, but since this is my first time, I’m not sure if I did it right. If they don’t show up, I will try again.

[olorin19]

I have released ten squirrels into my back yard, and Harry is the only one to ever attack me after release --

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?66460-Fearful-Aggressive-newly-released-squirrel-attacked-me!

Then again, Harry was also the only one who attacked me before release --

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?66210-Protective-gear

And yes, beyond the actual physical pain, there is definitely some emotional pain when our babies attack.

So, no real advice here, just letting you know others have been down this road....

[Krissyd1307]

Thank you so much for replying. I just wish I knew why it was only me that he attacks. It has nothing to do with fear since there were plenty of times that I wasn’t afraid, it isn’t hormones since it happens at any time, even when it’s not mating season, and he’s so friendly with everybody else, especially my boyfriend, Sunny has never bit him, not one time, and he always feeds him as well. I have had other squirrels in the past that have shown aggression to others, but never myself.

[JLM27]

You could try changing all your toiletries to unscented hypoallergenic. If you've changed anything recently ---like when he started biting---maybe his nose is confusing him bc he thinks it isn't you. Worth a shot. They are very farsighted and can't see very well when they are right on top of of each other. That's why you might see two squirrels who know each other very cautiously creep toward each other and touch noses to be sure who it is, and then relaxing if it is family or friend..

[olorin19]

You could try changing all your toiletries to unscented hypoallergenic. If you've changed anything recently ---like when he started biting---maybe his nose is confusing him bc he thinks it isn't you. Worth a shot. They are very farsighted and can't see very well when they are right on top of of each other. That's why you might see two squirrels who know each other very cautiously creep toward each other and touch noses to be sure who it is, and then relaxing if it is family or friend..

I respectfully disagree. Squirrels have excellent distance vision, it is part of what keeps them safe from predators.

https://enviroliteracy.org/how-good-is-a-squirrels-eyesight/

When out walking in our neighborhood, we are routinely recognized by squirrels that know us when we are up to 250 feet away - these squirrels will either wait for us or run towards us (knowing we have hazelnuts). By contrast, if somebody else comes walking by, they quickly go up a tree.

[BigNibbler]

I have a lot of experience in squirrel negotiating.
Does Sunny have loads of foods outside. .
Is he happy to be free?
Did he want to be released, or given a choice - would he have been content indoors?
Is there some food - think hard about this... or even some THING... that he might be frustrated over, not having.

I am constantly amazed at how we can often overlook their feelings from their perspectives.
In the past when I have experienced that kind of interaction, it has always been my fault... my failure .. in not being sensitive to something that they wanted/expected or interpreted as being in my power to provide.

The fact that Sunny only bites you,,, could very well mean that you are the only one he expects, or would expect better from... the only one he has to ask for something... the only one he trusts, and so too - the only one he could feel is neglected him, and that he would expect better from.

[olorin19]

You could try changing all your toiletries to unscented hypoallergenic. If you've changed anything recently ---like when he started biting---maybe his nose is confusing him bc he thinks it isn't you. Worth a shot. They are very farsighted and can't see very well when they are right on top of of each other. That's why you might see two squirrels who know each other very cautiously creep toward each other and touch noses to be sure who it is, and then relaxing if it is family or friend..

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying here, as my first response focused on long distance, whereas you were focusing on close distance vision. But still, I do believe squirrels are pretty good at identifying each other (or people they know) from very close distances (say 10' or less) as well as out to much greater distances.

One example I have seen thousands of times: I will go out my back door and multiple squirrels (anywhere from 2 to 8 or more) will start moving towards me from various directions in order to get a hazelnut. By the time they all stop, they may be anywhere from 10' to 25' from each other. From this distance, they quickly work out the dominance hierarchy - The top squirrel squirrel (who likely kept going) comes first, then one by one the others come over in their appropriate turn. Often there are a couple that approach at once, as their relative place in the dominance hierarchy might be a bit fluid. But my point is that these squirrels figure out who is who quite quickly.