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STORY TIME! Remember how I said I’ve been trying to fatten up this raggedy female squirrel? Well...
This evening I heard a neighbor talking outside my window: “Yeah, it won’t start, I think the battery’s dead. ....oh my god!!! I think it’s a squirrel! Is it nesting?!?”
So I popped right out and asked if I could look. Well:
So I popped right out and asked if I could look. Well:
As I watched, my raggedy squirrel poked her nose up among the engine parts and glared.
And in the nest, sure enough: four pink babies
Far and away the best option would have been to close the hood and not use the car for a month, but my neighbor wasn’t a fan of that idea. So I grabbed a box and put the nest-plus-babies inside.
Squirrels make multiple nests, so I was hoping we could convince Mom to take her babies to a different nest.
I was worried, though, because a huge nearby tree full of squirrel nests had been cut down last week. What if all her nests had been in there?
I was worried, though, because a huge nearby tree full of squirrel nests had been cut down last week. What if all her nests had been in there?
Plus, it was nearly dusk. If she didn’t her babies before dark, internet sources suggested she wouldn’t take them at all.
I put the box next to her tree, but she wasn’t sure what to make of it. She was furious at us and not connecting the box to her babies.
I had noticed while moving the nest that the babies could be inspired by motion to make noise. I tried picking up a baby (normally I’d do this with gloves, but who has gloves now??) and it helpfully squeaked, and then suddenly - Mom was there!
She ran through a neighbor’s yard, under a fence, up the trunk of a large tree just starting to bud, and disappeared into a hole at the base of a large branch.
After that she didn’t need any help: she knew where her babies were. One by one she came and fetched the remaining three.
Once the babies were gone, I dumped the remains of the nest out, and she came and searched through very diligently, while casting me suspicious looks. Possibly squirrels can’t count?
So that’s the story of the raggedy squirrel, who will definitely continue to get fed by me.
And also, check your engines for squirrel babies!
And also, check your engines for squirrel babies!
