Four young red squirrels are recovering and bonding at the BC SPCA Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, including one who came in naked and alone.
The barely hairless baby was the first to arrive after his mother was hit and killed by a car while holding him. Those who found him immediately took him to the Wild ARC for help. The body was unharmed, but in shock and hypothermia, the squirrel was nearly hairless due to a mite infestation. The rehabilitation team acted quickly to stabilize him and provide parasite treatment to start the process of regrowth his fur.
The red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel native to BC. About half the size of a gray squirrel, they are rusty red with white underparts. Wild ARC usually sees one or two little red squirrels every other year, so the team was surprised when three appeared a few days later.
Cold, dehydrated and infested with fleas, the team thinks they crawled out of their dens in search of food after their mother didn’t return. The trio had a few days to stabilize and receive flea treatment before introducing one of them to the solitary hairless squirrel. After a verbal introduction, they quickly embraced their new nude sibling.
All arrived with their eyes open and able to eat solid food, giving rehabilitators optimism that they will be released into the wild before winter.
Learn more about these creatures and how you can help medical.spca.bc.ca.
Do you have a story tip? Email: [email protected]
follow us Twitter and Instagram, like us Facebook.
West Coast Wild ARC
<!– View Comments –>