This last sunday at the Temescal Farmer’s Market, in the middle of the hustle and bustle, a squirrel’s nest fell. The nest of leaves landed on the ground amidst passing shoppers, stomping feet, and curious children and dogs. One of the vendors was on it, though. She heard the crying baby, saw the frantic mother run away in a panic. She had the presence of mind to protect the nest and call our wildlife center for advice.
We told her that the best thing to do would be to get the mother to reunite with her baby(s) but that it was unlikely to happen in the middle of the farmer’s market. The vendor was willing to stay late after the fair was over to try to reunite this baby with it’s mother so we asked her to protect the nest until the market ended and things quieted down. She put the nest in a boxand kept it safe until the market closed. Luckily we also had a volunteer willing to run down there and help. Margaret met the vendor after the farmer’s market ended and when it was quiet again, together they took the nest with the baby in it to the base of the tree he had fallen out of. We told them to expose the baby slightly to the elements so he would cry in discomfort from the sudden change in temperature and then back away from the nest, watching from a distance to make sure the nest was left alone by passing people and animals.
They did not have to wait long. The squirrel baby let out a loud “Eeeep! Eeeep! Eeeep! ” and from hidden in the branches, the frantic mother made her way down the tree, grabbed her baby like a mother cat would a kitten, and carried him back up into the tree’s protective branches to her new nest.
Well Done to the Farmer’s Market Vendor, assisted by our volunteer Margaret!
This is the perfect ending we wish for all the wildlife emergencies. The vendor did everything right.
Unfortunately, not all wildlife emergencies end this way. Most end with the babies being brought into care at our facility. Reuniting is the best way to go, but it does require dedication of time and care from the finder as well as our volunteers.
If you see a nest fall, or a baby animal in trouble, give us a call and we can talk you through how to reunite a baby with it’s mother, if possible. If not, we will always be here to give loving care to wildlife orphans. (510) 421-9897
