It's not just pets that need help in the aftermath of recent hurricanes, over 1,000 baby squirrels are undergoing care in what's best described as a "squirrel neonatal unit". The Houston SPCA still receives 20 to 30 lil ones each day, causing these creatures to far outnumber all of the other animals there.
We’re feeding them puppy formula every three hours. . . . We’ve had a pelican and a couple of seagulls, but we’ve been overwhelmed by the squirrels, said Sharon Schmalz, executive director of the society’s Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center, who explained that this was the height of squirrel birthing season in Texas.
The orphans – many less than three inches long – are hand fed via these nipple-tipped syringes and will remain in the care of volunteers until they reach 12 weeks old. They will then be re-released into their natural habitats, places like rural areas outside city limits or tree-filled suburbs, with newfound strength to frolic freely and leap from limb to limb.