Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Found a baby squirrel that fell out of a tree. Problem?

My sister found a baby squirrel that she saw fall out of a tree by my house. We took it in for the night and have been feeding it warm milk and crushed almonds every 5 hours.





I don't know if this is normal or not but both of it's arms seem to a be a little limp sometimes. Like, it would take 3 big leaps/steps but then it's arms will give way and then it falls on its chest/neck/chin.


is this normal for a baby squirrel or are its arms injured?Found a baby squirrel that fell out of a tree. Problem?
While your sister may have seen the squirrel fall from the nest, it could very well have been pushed out by the mother because it's ill. It could have also broken some bones in the fall.





You need to find a wildlife rehab or contact the ASPCA/Humane Society to get a proper contact to tend to this squirrel. I'm sorry to say that it will most likely end up dying while in your care.Found a baby squirrel that fell out of a tree. Problem?
Do NOT give it any more milk! That's about the worst thing for it since it's not a cow. This is what can happen when baby squirrels are raised on cow's milk: http://www.squirrel-rehab.org/pictures/i鈥?/a>





Get it to a rehabber as soon as you can. You can find the closest one here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.鈥?/a>





They'll know what is normal. If it is injured, it could be in a lot of pain, and the most humane thing may be to euthanize it. A licensed rehabilitator will know what's best for it. If you care about the animal, don't leave it potentially suffering.
If you are in the UK it is actually illegal to release a grey squirrel back into the wild (honestly, it's true) so you need to know what you intend to do with this squirrel if it does grow up. The RSPCA euthanizes grey squirrels for this reason. A UK vet would probably do the same. The only hope you have is to find a zoo that would take it, keep it yourself (you'd need a large aviary type enclosure) or release it without telling anyone as technically you would be breaking the law.
I would not try and rehabilitate this squirrel on your own. Care of wild animals is very tricky and should be done by a professional. Take it to a shelter and ask them what they can do for your squirrel.
You should take the squirrel to your local animal shelter so they can rehabilitate him and release him back. The fall may have injured him the sooner he gets treated the better.

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