Update on the Squirrels: Recently, the same volunteer who assisted in cutting the squirrels out of the grass and bringing them into Wild ARC for care, had the pleasure of releasing the 4 squirrels back into the wild! The 4 squirrels were given the time necessary in the enclosures to learn to navigate their surroundings while transitioning to a new life with partial tails. Once they had shown they were completely healthy and had adapted regular squirrel behavior, they were released. The releases went very well and the squirrels seemed very eager to leave their kennels and get back home to their natural habitat.  

The volunteer was very excited to not only be a part of rescuing and bringing the squirrels in for care, but to release them back happily into their home in the wild. Thank you so much for the incredible outpouring of support for these squirrels! Any additional funds will provide care for other animals in need at Wild ARC. 

Original Story: A group of juvenile Eastern Grey Squirrels came into Wild ARC after their tails had become stuck together by sticky tree sap that melted in the extreme heat! A kind member of the public found the five siblings sticking to the ground and sadly unable to free themselves.

As the squirrels were in distress, the kind finder contacted Wild ARC to see what could be done. Luckily, one of Wild ARC’s incredible volunteers was nearby and came to the poor squirrels’ rescue by carefully cutting them free from the grass and bringing them in for care.

Upon arrival, the rehab team got to work immediately. It took them over an hour to carefully separate the squirrels’ tails without injuring them further - they had likely been stuck together overnight, and had tried chewing themselves free.

The squirrels were exhausted and stressed after their ordeal, and were kept warm and in a quiet place to allow them to stabilize before full exams were performed to fully assess the extent of their injuries. Unfortunately, one of the squirrels had injuries that would not have healed, and was humanely euthanized to prevent further suffering.

The others all had extensive damage to their tails; blood flow was severely affected, and their tails would unfortunately become necrotic if they were not amputated. The squirrels were put on specialized care for a few days to ensure they were stable and healthy enough to undergo surgery.

Surgery for three of the squirrels went well; they recovered quickly and were recently moved to an outdoor enclosure to practice navigating and foraging on their own. The fourth squirrel had some complications but we are optimistic that this little squirrel will join its siblings outside soon!

Before surgery, our senior rehab team worked closely with a wildlife veterinarian to confirm the squirrels would be able to live full lives without a portion of their tails. After long discussions and further research, evidence suggests that this was in fact possible. While squirrels use their tails to help balance themselves, they can adapt well to compensate for the loss of their tails when necessary.

Being in their outdoor enclosure is providing the squirrels with time in a safe space to learn how to move, climb and navigate their surroundings in a slightly different way than they are used to. Once they were ready to thrive in the wild on their own, the squirrels were finally released!    

These adorable squirrels required food, medical supplies, medicine, enclosure upkeep, and enrichment during their recovery which can be very expensive. Wild ARC is looking for help to recuperate costs for their care.

Personal updates for the Squirrels will be provided to anyone who donates to their campaign.