Giving baby squirrels and other injured wildlife a second chance

In a nondescript warehouse in Washington, D.C., wedged between a community garden and the subway tracks, more than a dozen baby squirrels fill cages in an uncomfortably warm room. A sound machine pumps out forest sounds under the fluorescent lights.

Some squirrels nap in hammocks, curled up in furry piles. Others cling to the wire of the cages and peer outside.

Right now, it’s baby squirrel season in much of the country. Spring is the time when many wild animals give birth, which means it’s a busy time for the people charged with rehabilitating injured or orphaned animals.

Zookeepers here at the nonprofit City Wildlife now spend much of their time hand-feeding baby squirrels.

“We were able to tell them apart because we paint their ears different colors,” said Alessandra Flores, one of the staffers here. She reaches into a cage to grab a squirrel with ears painted pink. She then holds the animal with one hand while offering it a small syringe with a soft nipple on the end, filled with specially formulated squirrel formulation.

Some animals arrived here after falling from their nests, others were abandoned by their mothers. Others are hit by cars.

Julie Edwards, a volunteer with City Wildlife in Washington, DC, hand-feeds one of the baby squirrels.

Squirrels are among the most common wild mammals in North America, so you might wonder: why bother? It’s not like the eastern gray squirrel is going extinct anytime soon.

“Some people say it’s a waste of time when it comes to squirrels,” said Jim Monsma, director of City Wildlife. But he says it’s not just about wildlife, it’s about people too. The act of saving a small, helpless squirrel, he says, inspires compassion.

“It’s not like you’re born with a limited amount of compassion. Once you use it up, you’re a jerk. It’s not like that. The more compassionate you are, the nicer you become,” says Monsma. say.

There are such wildlife rehabilitation centers throughout the country. They take in all kinds of creatures in need, from turtles with broken shells to bald eagles with lead poisoning.

These centers are often run by volunteers, such as Julie Edwards. On this day she is busy with a rambunctious squirrel. His cage has a red label: ‘escape risk’.

“They all have personalities,” says Edwards, holding the squirrel. “This guy is a little crazy.”

Edwards began volunteering at a rescue center in Houston, Texas. Her husband didn’t want her to volunteer at the animal shelter to help dogs and cats.

“He said I was going to take it all home,” Edwards says. “But the animal center doesn’t let you take it home, so that was fine.”

In the middle of the afternoon feeding session, a new patient arrives: the 16th baby squirrel currently at the center. He is completely black and appears terrified and perhaps malnourished.

“I guess someone found him on the sidewalk or something. He’s pretty skinny,” said staffer Flores.

The goal is to get the squirrels healthy and big enough so they can be released back into the wilds of the city and surrounding suburbs.

Monsma says the vast majority of animals that come here are here because of the way we’ve built our urban areas.

“We have changed our environment to make life very pleasant, efficient and comfortable for us,” he says. Things like roads, cars, lawns and lawn mowers make life easier for people, but much harder for wildlife.

“Every day is an obstacle course with fatal consequences, possible with every mistake. So the victims are piling up, and that’s why we’re here.”

As spring turns to summer, there will be even more victims: after baby squirrel season, the baby rabbits come in, then the ducks, then the mourning doves. By next fall, staff here will have saved hundreds of city animals.

If you find an injured or abandoned squirrel or other wild animal, the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association can help you find a local rehabilitator near you, as well as other information about wildlife rescue.

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