Infant Squirrel Emergency
As with all infant mammals, every effort should be made to reunite the infant squirrel with its mother. Infant squirrels often fall from their nest due to wind, overcrowding, or other natural disturbances. If given the opportunity, mother squirrels will usually retrieve their infants one by one and either take them back to the original nest or to an alternate nest if the original nest was destroyed. If you find an infant squirrel, follow these suggestions to reunite it with its mother:
- Carefully examine the squirrels to determine if any of them are injured.
- Put the healthy squirrel in a box lined with a soft material like a towel or t-shirt. Place a hot water bottle or some other heat source under the material in the box with the squirrels.
- Place the box with the squirrels under the tree that you suspect they fell from even if the tree has been damaged or cut down. Mother squirrels can and will (if able) retrieve their babies and take them to another nest site if their nest has been disturbed. Their natural mothers are the best option for these babies, please try to reunite when possible.
- A bucket with soft bedding can also be used. Tie a rope on the handle of the bucket and anchor the bucket over a tree branch so the bucked handle just touches the tree branch. This keeps the infants away from predators on the ground.
- Keep other animals and people away from the area.
If any of the squirrels are injured or if the mother squirrel has not retrieved her infants in 2 to 3 hours please contact the Wildlife In Need Center at (262) 965-3090.
