Baby squirrel rescue

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Awww the last picture is priceless!
I'm just not sure if he will survive in the wild :cry3:
 
He is very sweet. I'm so pleased your son chose to help save this baby and not walk away or cause further harm to him. I think that is a true testament of your guidance to your son in his formative years. I hope so much Chip will have a long lasting and happy life and inthe back of his little squirrel mind always remember his human guardian angel. Blessings to you and your family! And Blessings to Chip!
 
Awww the last picture is priceless!
I'm just not sure if he will survive in the wild :cry3:



Yes, he will. I've hand fed several squirrels and they always did fine once released. I always just released them in my yard and they would hang around but very quickly reverted to their 'squirrely' wild ways. Before they are released I'm always sure that they can open a REAL acorn fairly quickly. I also always left food out for them, too. A wild squirrel, even though hand fed, will not be happy in a cage and too destructive to leave loose in the house. The OP will know when the time is right. The little squirrely will show signs of discontent come the fall.
 
eroomlorac:

It's my understanding that somewhere between 12-16 weeks his instincts will start to kick in and he will no longer be sweet and cuddly and will revert to untouchable and bitey, has that been your experience? Also do you put them in an outdoor cage for a few weeks before you actually release them? I'm wondering if I need to start building a cage.
 
eroomlorac:

It's my understanding that somewhere between 12-16 weeks his instincts will start to kick in and he will no longer be sweet and cuddly and will revert to untouchable and bitey, has that been your experience?

I'm pretty sure that at least raccoons do that I don't know about squirrels though. I remember this one lady who had rescued a squirrel a while ago and I don't THINK it ever turned on her.
 
Yes, it has been my experience by the end of the summer, they want 'out'. He never really 'turned' on us but did become a wild squirrel quite quickly. No, I never did put him in an outside cage but I'd take him outside with me when he was old enough. At one point, he climbed the tree and didn't come back down. For the first few times he'll just hang with you. Believe me, instinct will kick in. But don't let him outside or loose until you know he can crack open an acorn, as that might be his biggest food challenge outside. We always left peanuts, corn, peanut butter sandwiches, etc. out for him. At first he'd always come to eat them, then as he grew more confident and self sufficient, he'd eat our food less and less. I have also raised baby raccoons, too, and believe me, the call of the wild is still very real for them. You are just teaching him survival skills just as his mother would. He will go off on his own and that is the whole point of rehabilitating a wild animal, NOT to make it a pet, which is illegal in most states, anyway. Your goal should be teaching him to be a squirrel in the wild, which is where he belongs.
 
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