I usually glance at headlines on my homepage since I rarely have time to sit down and actually watch the news. You bet this one caught my eye: Vermont neighborhood suffering from squirrel attacks.

I nearly spit out my tea when I saw that one!

It seems three folks from East Street in Bennington reported a gray squirrel jumping on them with malicious intent. Animal experts think the squirrel might have been raised by people who later turned it loose in the area. It obviously lost all fear of people, but was pretty protective of the area for some reason.

Unfortunately, at least one of the people attacked had to go through the rabies shots as a precaution. (I’ve heard absolutely horrid things about the treatment. You wouldn’t want to wish it on your worst enemy.)

Bringing Home a Wild Baby Animal

This brings me to the point of why it’s not a good idea to bring home a wild baby because you think it needs a home.

Before I start preaching, confession is probably the best course. I’ve always been a softy when it comes to baby animals. When I was in high school I took my dog, Hugo, for a walk around the pond one day in May. He flushed a litter of bunnies from the bushes. The harried little fur balls made a poor choice and dove straight into the cold water! I thought they’d never make it to the other side, so I jumped in after them.

Can you imagine the absolute terror of these tiny bunnies as this giant creature swam up to them and scooped them out of the water? I was able to rescue them from what I thought was certain death, and ultimately I brought them home. That was my mistake. Although I eventually put them back, I doubt they survived. I’m sure they all smelled too much of people and dog for the mother to want to chance it.

Squirrel Story

My husband works for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as a fisheries biologist, and while he doesn’t receive many calls from people worried about orphaned trout, his colleagues are practically besieged in the spring with cries from worried citizens. It’s not unusual for does to stash their fawns for extended periods of time. I know there’s nothing more heartbreaking than to see a fawn all by its lonesome, but most of the time the mother will return. Picking them up and bringing them to safety seals their fate. It’s illegal in most states to keep wildlife, so a call to the local officials doesn’t usually receive a positive response.

What could’ve happened with the above mentioned squirrel is someone was able to bring him in as a youngster. There’s nothing cuter than a baby squirrel, and I’m sure the adorable little critter had those humans wrapped around his finger. But it’s not so fun when a larger, more assertive rodent demands treats instead of cutely begs for them. That’s probably when the people decided Mr. Squirrel needed to make his way in the world.

This happens a lot with wild animals. They’re cute as anything when they’re little, but once they’re grown their untamed attitude doesn’t quite fit with domestic life. They’re often turned loose, where they don’t stand much of chance because they never learned how to fend for themselves . My greatest recommendation is to learn from my mistake, and obviously the error of the squirrel’s owner, and let wildlife stay wild.

The photo is copyright of cjmckendry via istock.