Here come the babies! As everyone knows, spring is baby season, and wildlife rehabilitators are always very busy! These two little baby Grey Squirrels were orphaned. It is unclear what happened to their mother. They are 7 weeks old and their eyes just opened. They are very greedy and try to drink so fast that they can suck milk into their lungs and get pneumonia, so you have to be careful when you feed them. After nursing, they get very sleepy! Their formula is modified as they grow so they get all the right nutrients at every stage of development (another good reason not to try to raise baby wildlife yourself- there's a lot to know and to get right!). I am also introducing solids, and though they will be nursed for several more weeks, they will hopefully slowly learn about solids too!
After eating tonight I let them have a few minutes to do some climbing...on me! The little girl fell asleep in my hand, and her brother started nodding off on my shoulder, so I tucked them up in their cozy fleece nest :)
Now, take a look at these tiny orphans below- just brought to a fellow rehabilitator's sanctuary (who is one of my mentors and kindly let me take photos of them- Second Chance Wildlife up to the NW of Syracuse, NY).
These tiny ones are just a few weeks old. Some boys knocked their nest out of a tree. The mother squirrel returned and took two of the babies, but left these two behind. Thankfully the human boys' parents were wise enough to call a rehabilitator, and hopefully this little boy & girl will grow up to be strong squirrel nutkins! I just love their sleeping positions!
