Weezel

This past summer my oldest daughter found a pinkie squirrel in my back yard. She guarded it from my dogs and called for me to come see. It appeared he had fallen over 50 feet from a nest in a tree above him. he had a big dark knot on his head. I was sure he wasn't going to make it, but couldn't let him die. So we took him in, warmed him up with water bottles filled with very warm water, and got some puppy milk replacement from my work and a needle less syringe to feed him. I know a woman in wildlife rehabilitation, so I tried to contact her to see what else I could do, I left a message on her answering machine. The next morning, to my amazement, the little guy was still alive! I took him to work with me, so I could keep him on a feeding schedule. The rehabber I called the night before had contacted someone that specializes in squirrels. This person then contacted me. At first I was not happy she wanted to take him. Then I realized someone with much more experience could give him a better chance to survive. She came to my work and picked him up. She asked what I was calling him. I laughed and told her at first we weren't sure what he was, so we called him Weezel. The name stuck. This wonderful woman took such good care of him. Squirrels don't open their eyes until they have all their fur, and are pretty mature. That is why we never see baby squirrels running around. This lady sent me pictures many times via the Internet, and we sent long emails back and forth about Weezel and many other things. She is such a nice person. Then a sad email came. She informed me Weezel was blind. Under normal circumstances she would be required to have him euthanized. Her job is to prepare wildlife to be released, and a blind squirrel could never survive on his own. I was devastated! But this wonderful woman was more upset. She had him with her every day for weeks, nurturing him. She contacted her mentors and explained to them how she couldn't have him destroyed. They worked together to obtain a license for Weezel's Mom to keep him, and she worked with an educational facility that has a program to allow Weezel to participate in an educational program with them. I am ecstatic! Weezel lives in a safe outdoor enclosure, He collects his nuts in his nesting box. He is playful and does almost everything a normal squirrel does except for the obvious. He can't jump from branch to branch in trees or balance on power lines. he has some sight in one eye, but he could never survive on his own. Lucky for him, his new Mom sought him out, and fought for his life. I guess there are some heroes left in this world! Thank you Carol! Also, thank you to all the wildlife rehabbers out there that spend their time waking up all hours in the night to feed their "babies", that spend countless dollars on formulas, feed, crates, bedding, laundry, exterior enclosures, Veterinary bills, on and on, and in the end selflessly say goodbye to their wild friends. Never earning a penny for any of it. It is my honor to know you exist!