Rehab!

One day in April.... Indigo nearly ran over a baby squirrel while riding her bike in front of our house!

Sage reached down and scooped up the squirrel out of the road

It had likely fallen from a nearby tree and had a bloody nose and swollen patch on its head

It was very docile, seemed a bit dehydrated and probably had a concussion

It crawled right into our hands and hung on for dear life when we tried to put it back in the tree we thought it most likely came from. A young animal's best chance for survival is to be raised by its natural mother but this squirrel did not want to be left alone.

It was late in the afternoon and a bit chilly. Baby squirrels need an external heat source so we brought it inside, warmed it up and gave it a nut.

I made a broth using dulce (raw cane sugar I brought back from Costa Rica) and sea salt (that I brought back from Hawaii) and we fed it with a little dropper. I tried applying some arnica to its head, too.

What a big day for such a little guy! We named him Sherman Norman Squirrelette

He slept in my basket, right next to my bed. He even had a miniature dreamcatcher (already on the basket before we found the squirrel)

The next day, we put him in a little box with some cloth to keep him warm and wedged the box into the crotch of the tree we thought his nest might have been in, hoping mama would come to his rescue. An hour later he was gone, we thought it worked. That evening, I saw the neighbor walking in the street looking a bit befuddled. Sherman was following her. I went over and picked him up, shared the story with her and realized the squirrel was going to need another warm night with us, he was shaking and dehydrated again.

After feeding him more broth, we went for a walk. Sherman nestled himself inside my vest while I strummed my ukulele and enjoyed a tour of the neighborhood apple blossoms.

Sherman brought a lot of joy to many people during his short stay with us but he really needed a longer term rehabilitation

I called the local wildlife rehabilitation site I had heard of but they had closed. I called the DNR and they gave me a number for a family nearby who had been certified recently so we drove out to their farm with Sherman in a basket, nibbling apple pieces.

The quote on the brochure for Chippewa Valley Wildlife Rehabilitation:

"Once in a while, we've a chance to give back a little from all that we take. And a wild one returned to the circle of life is a part of the world that we make" Douglas Wood

These folks have a working farm and they raise cows, pigs and chickens - mostly for meat and eggs. The small critters they help are eventually released into the surrounding woodland.

Chippewa Valley Wildlife Rehabilitation is an entirely donation-supported non-profit organization. Maybe this Earth Day, some of you might consider making a contribution! Here is their phone number:

715-838-0326

Maybe we'll get to see Sherman one more time before he finds his new home in the woods by the farm - stay tuned!