 |
It is spring, and nature is hurrying to reproduce itself and to get ready for the next long winter. Sometimes, something goes wrong, and animals such as baby squirrels fall from their nest.
Many people feel that they must "help". However, as city dwellers, we have mostly lost contact with the realities of life in nature. In the vast majority of cases, our help is actually causing a problem were there was none to begin with.
The best thing that can be done, is to do nothing at all. Nearly always, the parents are nearby. They will pick up the little critters and bring them back to the nest. We should not touch the animals at all, for we could impart them our smell, and that would lead the parents to reject them or maybe even to kill them.
According to the Toronto Humane Society, only after a few hours would it be OK to give them a shallow dish of water, but only if their eyes are open.
If they are not crying, one can very carefully pinch the base of their tail to make them yell for their parents, in order to attract their attention.
If the parents have not retrieved them after at least 24 hours (that's at least a whole day and a whole night!), they can be brought to the Humane Society.
I think that this is good advice that we can easily generalize. How would we feel if some big monsters would pluck us from the street every now and then, start to manipulate us, put us in a box or a cage, only to give us food that does not agree with us, only to release us somewhere in strange surroundings?
Wildlife has its own life. It should be left alone, no matter how much we'd like to hold it, pet it, or help it. Sometimes, the best way to help is to do nothing at all and let nature take its course.
-
I think that this is good advice that we can easily generalize. How would we feel if some big monsters would pluck us from the street every now and then, start to manipulate us, put us in a box or a cage, only to give us food that does not agree with us, only to release us somewhere in strange surroundings? I agree we should leave them alone and give an option for its parents to retrieve it. -
@ Chris V. (cgull)
I agree we should leave them alone and give an option for its parents to retrieve it. I agree. Also, we need to take into account that baby squirrels that fall from the nest are often simply food for other animals. I realize that this bothers us humans, but that is nature's way. If we protect one animal against another, we are not doing that other animal a favour. -
@ Bart B. Van Bockstaele
I agree. Also, we need to take into account that baby squirrels that fall from the nest are often simply food for other animals. I realize that this bothers us humans, but that is nature's way. If we protect one animal against another, we are not doing that other animal a favour. That is what happening with Pandas in China, they are so accustomed to people, they have a hard time living in the wild. Great picture of the Squirrel. -
That is so true bart! Did you see the pic of the baby'horned owl' my husband took last week and I posted on my bird story?
It had fallen from its nest. TOO downy to fly, my husbands maintenance guys used as much hands off to put it in the tree but could not safely.
Prey for javalinas and others
It fell
-
That is so true bart! Did you see the pic of the baby'horned owl' my husband took last week and I posted on my bird story?
It had fallen from its nest. TOO downy to fly, my husbands maintenance guys used as much hands off to put it in the tree but could not safely.
Prey for javalinas and others they called the refuge who came and rescued it after 2 days-mom never returned to the nest. :(
Beautiful, these little guys! My squirrels are far from babes and they steal all of the morning dove's, cardinal, mocking birds and jays feed! lol
-
The only time I stepped in to protect a baby squirrel was when it was being chased by a cat.
It was obviously a baby but was big enough to be on its own.
A cat that was chasing it was gaining ground and I went outside and chased the cat off.
I figured the cat did not need the squirrel for food it could go home and eat. :-)
Good report and a timely reminder to leave the babies alone.
-
This morning I was watching a gray squirrel in our yard, but had I moved to get my camera, he would have ran. We have loads of them here...cute little buggers even if they can be pests!
-
How would we feel if some big monsters would pluck us from the street every now and then, start to manipulate us, put us in a box or a cage, only to give us food that does not agree with us, only to release us somewhere in strange surroundings?
I think we would feel like we live in a democracy. -
@ Nikki W (karateblossom)
That is so true bart! Did you see the pic of the baby'horned owl' my husband took last week and I posted on my bird story?
It had fallen from its nest. TOO downy to fly, my husbands maintenance guys used as much hands off to put it in the tree but could not safely.
Prey for javalinas and others
It fell I have now. Thanks for mentioning it. I have never seen one that young. Great story, by the way. I am going to Toronto Zoo at that day, for a bird walk. -
@ Cynthia T. [Picasso]
The only time I stepped in to protect a baby squirrel was when it was being chased by a cat.
It was obviously a baby but was big enough to be on its own.
A cat that was chasing it was gaining ground and I went outside and chased the cat off.
I figured the cat did not need the squirrel for food it could go home and eat. :-)
Good report and a timely reminder to leave the babies alone. LOL. That would indeed be a very valid reason to protect the baby! -
@ Debra Myers (skyangel)
This morning I was watching a gray squirrel in our yard, but had I moved to get my camera, he would have ran. We have loads of them here...cute little buggers even if they can be pests! Haha, that makes me think of a good friend of mine who lives in Ottawa. He bought a house a while ago, and that changed his perspective on squirrels. As he said: "Before, I thought they were so lovely, so cute, but now, I hate them. I want to kill them all!"
Here a squirrel that is trying to open a garbage can:
Bart B. Van Bockstaele Eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). While walking by, I heard loud noises. It was the squirrel trying to throw open the lid of the garbage can. Unfortunately, I was pestered by a woman who wanted to know why I was taking pictures, and the squirrel was scared off.
image:39641:3::0
|
-
@ Brant David McLaughlin
I think we would feel like we live in a democracy. LOL. Indeed. A democracy may well be the least bad system we have, but that doesn't mean it is a good one! -
I have only ever seen a black squirrel twice. Ditto w/the flying squirrels!
-
@ Debra Myers (skyangel)
I have only ever seen a black squirrel twice. Ditto w/the flying squirrels! Wow. I didn't know that. I would say that the grey ones are not uncommon here, but that the black ones have a clear majority. They are the same species by the way. The official name for these black squirrels is also "Eastern grey squirrel". I find it funny to have grey squirrels that are black ^_^.
Oh, and I have never seen a flying squirrel, so far. -
I have a black squrrel that comes every day to the bird feeders.
We have a couple of red squrrels as well as several fox squirrels along with the black that comes every day.
-
@ Cynthia T. [Picasso]
I have a black squrrel that comes every day to the bird feeders.
We have a couple of red squrrels as well as several fox squirrels along with the black that comes every day. We have several black squirrels in the garden here, but then, they are literally everywhere. I have never seen a fox squirrel, and I have seen two red squirrels for the first time two years ago, when I cycled to Barrie from Toronto. They were road-kill, unfortunately. -
@ Bart B. Van Bockstaele
We have several black squirrels in the garden here, but then, they are literally everywhere. I have never seen a fox squirrel, and I have seen two red squirrels for the first time two years ago, when I cycled to Barrie from Toronto. They were road-kill, unfortunately.
Bart, and I thought my cousin was the only one crazy enough to cycle from Toronto to Barrie. -
@ 666divine
Bart, and I thought my cousin was the only one crazy enough to cycle from Toronto to Barrie. No, you just met another nutcase!
It was, by the way, quite a trip. I went all the way to the Greek Church at Highway 11 in Crownhill. I enjoyed it tremendously. I hope to do it again. By pure coincidence, the day I went, was August 12, the very climax of the Perseids. Because of the light pollution in Belgium, I had never been able to see them.
I sat down after dark next to the road between Barrie and Bradford, and I had a great time watching the "shooting stars". I don't advise anyone to do that though: traffic can be deadly over there. -
@ Bart B. Van Bockstaele
No, you just met another nutcase!
It was, by the way, quite a trip. I went all the way to the Greek Church at Highway 11 in Crownhill. I enjoyed it tremendously. I hope to do it again. By pure coincidence, the day I went, was August 12, the very climax of the Perseids. Because of the light pollution in Belgium, I had never been able to see them.
I sat down after dark next to the road between Barrie and Bradford, and I had a great time watching the "shooting stars". I don't advise anyone to do that though: traffic can be deadly over there.
Yeah, you wouldn't want to be road kill. -
@ 666divine
Yeah, you wouldn't want to be road kill. I would have made a lot of people very happy. I had a small LED bikelight that gave me nothing more than just a ridiculously small amount of light. Even if a car didn't hit me, I could well have killed myself riding into a pothole or some loose pebbles. It wasn't meant to be, apparently. Add a Comment
|
 |
|
|
Baby squirrels - 'tis the season
Email
Print
Share
