Baby squirrels fall from trees during hurricane season. how to help
- Extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, can push baby squirrels out of their nests.
- If you see a stranded squirrel, don’t take action right away, experts say.
- It’s best to give the mother squirrel enough time to retrieve the baby. You can also consult a licensed wildlife professional.
Across the country, people can see an increasing number of baby squirrels falling from their nests. And wildlife experts are reporting severe weather.
During hurricane season, storms produce heavy rains, high winds and subsequent tree felling — which “can cause young squirrels and their nests to fall from high perches,” North Carolina wrote. Wildlife Commission in a statement Thursday.
Hurricane Ian was poised to hit the South Carolina coast on Friday and cross North Carolina by Saturday, causing even more catastrophic damage in its path, including likely disruption to wildlife.
There are more baby squirrels this time of year, the wildlife commission notes, which increases sightings.
Gray squirrels, North Carolina’s state mammal, are also found throughout much of the eastern United States. They have two litters a year – one in spring and one in late summer. At this time, the animals are raising their second brood of the year.
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In short, especially during hurricane season, there are more baby squirrels in the trees, and the weather can be powerful enough to push them out of their nests. It’s not something new or isolated in North Carolina; Over the years, rescue groups have worked to rehabilitate baby squirrels that fell from trees after hurricanes in Virginia, Florida and Texas.
What can I do if I see a baby squirrel that has fallen?
If you come across a stranded baby squirrel, don’t pick it up right away. “Leave it to them and call a professional,” the wildlife commission said.
First you want to give the mother squirrel enough time to retrieve the baby. If more action is needed, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
“A good practice is not to assume that immediate action is the best way to help,” Falyn Owens, extension biologist for the North Carolina Wildlife Commission, said in the statement. “Stopping long enough to consult a wildlife professional before traveling or caring for the animal can dramatically increase its chances of survival.”
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Owens also said that when a baby squirrel falls from its nest, its mother works as fast as she can to find it and bring it home. If the nest was destroyed, the mother will rebuild it first, then bring the baby squirrel back.
“Humans just aren’t as good at caring for young wild animals as their mothers, and not all young animals found alone have been abandoned,” Owens said, adding that a baby’s chances of survival squirrel are greatly reduced if moved away from the area. .
In states like North Carolina, it is also illegal to bring home native wildlife without a permit. When looking for licensed wildlife professionals to report the baby squirrel, try calling local authorities or your state’s wildlife department.
Don’t feed him, but a T-shirt might help
Sandy Beck, director of education for St. Francis Wildlife in Florida, offered additional advice in a September 2020 column for the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network.
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If you’re expecting the mother squirrel, you can put the baby squirrel in a small cardboard box lined with a T-shirt — again, near the same tree, so she can find him — writes Beck. To keep the animal warm, you can heat a bottle of water or a bag of rice in the microwave wrapped in another T-shirt and place it near the squirrel.
You can also try playing a “baby squirrel distress call” over the Internet to help lure the mother in, Beck writes. But reunions can still take time.
Do not feed the squirrel or give it water, note Beck and the North Carolina commission. If the baby squirrel is injured, call a professional.
USA Today
