Inadvertent squirrel rehabber #10,585,922

[Hobi]

Hello all,

Yesterday I recovered a juvenile eastern grey that appears to have fallen out of a very tall evergreen tree in our neighborhood park. The nest is so high in the tree (we're talking like three stories up) that there is no option of returning baby there, nor do I think baby could manage to climb back up itself (but if I'm wrong, please tell me). The neighborhood kids found it tangled in a bush, where it seemed dazed and had a bloody nose/mouth. It also appeared to have injured a foreleg. Bits of the nest appeared to be on the ground around it. After waiting a couple of hours and nothing changing I decided to take it to a rehabber, only to find that a rehabber in this state would be required to euthanize it because it is an invasive species. I kept it safe and quiet in the garage for several hours and found that it looked much better and less injured than originally evaluated, so I took it back to where the kids found it and attempted to set it free. When it finally climbed out of the box, it ran right back to me and huddled between my feet and could not be induced to leave, so it spent the night safe in my garage.

I'm now trying to figure out how best to return it to its wild lifestyle. As far as I can tell it is somewhere between 6-10 weeks of age but I could really use some help with that. It is well-furred including the tail and capable of climbing but mostly wants to curl up in a ball and hide in a towel-lined nest basket. It hoarded some almonds in the nest basket and produced a solid stool. The body without the tail is about the size of a medium-sized rat. The ears are too far back and eyes are too prominent for it to look like a miniature adult but it seems to me like this baby is either weaned or close to being old enough to be weaned. It is eager to drink either plain water or highly diluted Esbilac (it's what I could get in a pinch) from a dropper.

I can't seek help from the rehabbers here because it's an eastern grey. I do not particularly want a pet squirrel - I like rodents and have gerbils but this little one belongs in the wild. I'll start exploring the boards but wanted to introduce myself. Thanks for this resource.

[CritterMom]

Hello all,

Yesterday I recovered a juvenile eastern grey that appears to have fallen out of a very tall evergreen tree in our neighborhood park. The nest is so high in the tree (we're talking like three stories up) that there is no option of returning baby there, nor do I think baby could manage to climb back up itself (but if I'm wrong, please tell me). The neighborhood kids found it tangled in a bush, where it seemed dazed and had a bloody nose/mouth. It also appeared to have injured a foreleg. Bits of the nest appeared to be on the ground around it. After waiting a couple of hours and nothing changing I decided to take it to a rehabber, only to find that a rehabber in this state would be required to euthanize it because it is an invasive species. I kept it safe and quiet in the garage for several hours and found that it looked much better and less injured than originally evaluated, so I took it back to where the kids found it and attempted to set it free. When it finally climbed out of the box, it ran right back to me and huddled between my feet and could not be induced to leave, so it spent the night safe in my garage.

I'm now trying to figure out how best to return it to its wild lifestyle. As far as I can tell it is somewhere between 6-10 weeks of age but I could really use some help with that. It is well-furred including the tail and capable of climbing but mostly wants to curl up in a ball and hide in a towel-lined nest basket. It hoarded some almonds in the nest basket and produced a solid stool. The body without the tail is about the size of a medium-sized rat. The ears are too far back and eyes are too prominent for it to look like a miniature adult but it seems to me like this baby is either weaned or close to being old enough to be weaned. It is eager to drink either plain water or highly diluted Esbilac (it's what I could get in a pinch) from a dropper.

I can't seek help from the rehabbers here because it's an eastern grey. I do not particularly want a pet squirrel - I like rodents and have gerbils but this little one belongs in the wild. I'll start exploring the boards but wanted to introduce myself. Thanks for this resource.

Undoubtedly too young for that. Are you anywhere near Portland? We have an EXCELLENT group of rehabbers over the river in Vancouver who do not have the invasive constraints Oregon does. They are people we recommend HIGHLY.

[Hobi]

Yes, I am just south of Portland. I originally contacted the Audubon center here because the baby was covered with so much blood and was so easy to catch that things looked pretty dire. When it became clear things weren't that dire I found myself in my current dilemma. I have the time and energy to rehab and I'm a quick learner but at the same time, I have no idea what I am doing so I would be please to transport this little one to good rehabbers. I'll contact whoever you recommend. Thank you!

[CritterMom]

Yes, I am just south of Portland. I originally contacted the Audubon center here because the baby was covered with so much blood and was so easy to catch that things looked pretty dire. When it became clear things weren't that dire I found myself in my current dilemma. I have the time and energy to rehab and I'm a quick learner but at the same time, I have no idea what I am doing so I would be please to transport this little one to good rehabbers. I'll contact whoever you recommend. Thank you!

Sent contact info for Squirrel Refuge. Yo will really like Michael.