Black Squirrel Update

If you were to click here and here you will see how this frisky little girl looked just four weeks ago...   Of the nearly 1200 orphaned squirrels that got turned into the Wildlife Rehab after hurricane Ike, only two were black -- a boy and a girl - though we don't think they were siblings. Though there were several I fell in love with, you really couldn't tell who was who in the end. Besides the few whose problems set them apart -- one had no tail, another a slack jaw, still another had totally overgrown teeth and one poor male had an ouch on a very sensitive part of his anatomy --with all the rotating due to feedings and cage cleanings, the only ones you could know for sure past a few days were the two gorgeous blackies. 

There is only this one now -- the girl.  The boy has been gone for over a week, and my guess is that he went home with one of the people who have land near plenty of trees who are trained and licensed to ease them into the wild over a period of many weeks. He was always bigger, looked older -- another reason we figured they weren't sibs.  

After giving her 6 cc's of Esbilac for breakfast today (in addition to nuts and fruits and water in the cage), I decided to take a quick movie. I'm about to go out of town for 9 days and figure when I get back in there she too may be gone.  What cracks me up is that at the end, she's checking out the camera then clearly sees a squirrel in the lens and gives a start (or is poised in attack mode!) If you missed that, hit play again. 

And just so you can see how big the little Fox/Red that's in the tank with her is going to get around this time next year, check out this squirrel I gave a pecan to tonight in the park.  

I understand that squirrels get a winter coat and eat as much as they can to survive an anticipated food shortage.  But what's with these Texan squirrels? It's not 95 degrees with 100% humidity anymore, but it's still fairly warm here. It can get down to 35 for a few nights ... but not until January.  But suddenly all the wild squirrels look like mini Michelin Men. 

Seen through my adoring eyes there's only more to love.

Respect for ALL Life... In Theory, at least

Probably doesn't look like much, but this is a special plant.  I found it the morning that hurricane Ike had blown through. It was still raining and the wind was pretty strong yet, but I was driving around and saw this lone plant, laying on it's side in the middle of a parking lot, completely ripped from the dirt. It looked scared and lonely. Oddly, there were not other plants like it anywhere to be seen.  

What can I say? I'm clearly a giant sap, and felt compelled to scoop it up to take it home. I am also a total black thumb, but even my hideous skills were a better bet than lying with naked roots, waiting to get run over.  

It had no flowers at the time, and since I left it in my car accidentally overnight, it was fairly withered when I realized what I'd done and ran to retrieve it (it was a very disorienting time. That's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it). However late, I potted and watered it, talking lovingly to it as I patted the fresh, nutrient rich soil around it as if I were tucking a child into it's crib. I tell you it perked up within hours, and the next morning there were signs of sprouting tiny new buds-to-be. Oh joy.

Four days of scorching heat later I realized I hadn't watered it since and ran out to find those same hopeful leaves brown and the buds tragically shrunken in the dawn of life. Aghast at my own ADD, I cursed and bemoaned my horrible mothering, as my dear husband reassured me it would come to life again if I just watered it a lot.  Which HE did over the next few days, as he likes to save things too (and in this case he was saving the plant I saved from me). A few days ago I put it in the sun, and pinched off all it's dead leaves.  Two days later, voila!  It is bursting with tiny fucsia blossoms and fresh green leaves. Double click the pic 

If you don't think there's a power greater than yourself, I submit this as exhibit A!

A Surprise

I was, guess what, feeding squirrels this morning and a woman who had come in to volunteer several times when I was also there asked me, "Have you seen us feeding the squirrels on the web?"  I had no idea what she was talking about. I vaguely remember a reporter there -- I know the squirrels were on GMA a few days ago and in the Sunday NY Times as well as the Houston Chronicle, etc... Guess it really is a story of interest.

Anyway, it's on the local public radio station's website, KUHF. Guess they did a piece on NPR and did a companion article on the website with pictures. If you just click here you should find the article. I'm the gal in the black tee and jeans.

And this is a good excuse to show a pic of the little black Fox squirrel from a few posts back who now has his eyes open!

Squirrel Mania!

Made you smile, didn't it? This is not a professional actor and this pic was not posed! She was doing this all on her own and I happened to have my camera in hand.

She's a red squirrel, which is easy to tell by the reddish fur on her belly and the underside of her little legs and arms. I've heard reds also called Fox Squirrels. I guess they vary in color from red to black to gray depending on the part of the country they're from.

Here is one of the two black Fox babies I fed.

With their square heads and noses they look like newborn black lab puppies to me.

Guess the more common squirrel in this area are called Grays. That would explain why 99% of the close to 1000 orphans at the Wildlife Rehab are Grays. These Foxes are a rare treat.

The Fox babies are fuzzier on their heads, and when you hold them you can tell their fur is thicker and softer. Grays have white undersides and when mature their hairs are tipped in a grayish color.

In the wild adults feed twice a day --mornings and early evenings -- are quiet in midday. I think they turn in early, as when I walk the park where they are abundant I never see any if it's nearing sunset. Anyone who's watched a squirrel for long knows how these high energy critters are a source of endless amusement.

They build nests high in the tree branches or den inside hollow trees. Once I learned that I began craning my neck as far back as I could, squinting at the oak branches and sure enough, here and there I could see decent sized hammocks made of leaves, bark and grass.

They mate in spring and fall and the babies take 40-45 days to gestate. Usually 2 or 4 babies are born --naked, blind and helpless. They stay in the nest, nursing for about 6 weeks, during which time their eyes open and their teeth develop enough to try solid food. They stay with the family for about a month learning to forage and are almost full adults by 6 months. By 12 months they're having babies of their own.

I think we need to have a caption contest for that first picture. Care to try your hand in the comments?

Beyond Adorable!

Since my post from 9/18 found here about helping feed  700 + orphaned baby squirrels, I have not been able to stop thinking about them!!!  There are just so many mouths and I knew volunteers would have to get back to work this week. There are only so many staff at the wildlife rehab center and they are exhausted.  Yet the babies still need to be fed several times a day for the next two months before being eased back into the wild!

So, I've been going in as often as I can. The hours fly by and it's nearly impossible to tear myself away.  Others say they feel the same. Today I got through breakfast with all the tiniest babies in the incubators then did all the ones in ICU and did a second round with them all before I had to go.  The older ones are easier to feed as they have their eyes open, know what to do and have the motor skills to do it.  They're also robust and don't need all the tender prodding and patient attention that the weaker ones do.  Yet the latter need the help so badly, I gravitate to them if I have a choice.  

It's terribly akward to keep a syringe in the mouth of a wiggly critter while controlling the plunger so it only dispenses a drop of milk at a time. To add taking movies of yourself with a digital still camera is insane, as my attractively craned neck attests. I wish I weren't in this but I can at least capture some of the experience this way... 

Below is the same little fella, sitting in my hand, relaxed and happy after eating his fill.  (there's sound with this one)

Can you see why I go back for more of that?  

About 699 more, lol....

___________________________________________________________________

ADDITION:  Someone suggested I post info in case anyone would like to make a donation.  Great idea, thanks!  I know they're a new center and going into debt over this and would welcome any amount, even $5!

You can send a check to:
Wildlife Rehab and Education
7007 Katy Road 
Houston, TX 77024

713-861-9453

Their website -- http://wrande.org -- has a pay pal link but apparently it only works right now if you use Internet Explorer. Click on "What Can I do to Help". It leads to cash donations. Find in the paragraph where it says something like "Adopt an Ambassador click here" and it should take you to PayPal. You should get a thank you note for small sums and tax deductible letter for $25 or more.

And Now for A Moment of Levity

I took this on a walk before Hurricane Ike hit, but you can hear the wind had kicked up and see it whipping the water....  The best part is seeing their feet paddling to keep them in position.  

 sorry the color isn't so great... I'll get better on this.

Mother's Day

 *you can double click this picture to see the little fella much bigger and it's worth it* 

I now know there was a reason I canceled my trip to New York. I was scheduled to fly out this morning. I just didn't feel like leaving home so soon and for almost a week after such a major disaster. Though I usually get energized and restored in NYC, when I walked through all I had planned there in my mind, it just didn't sit right.

I rose at 7 AM thinking I had the luxury of the entire day free and the list of  things to catch up on was long. I sat down at the computer to put a dent in all the e-mails asking if we were OK and was looking forward to putting the house back into shape. But the first thing I saw an urgent message saying that the Wildlife Rehab and Education Center had seven hundred baby squirrels who needed nursing.  That's right -- 700! 

Squirrels have their broods in both fall and spring but their nice cozy nests sit high in the tree tops. Hurricane Ike ravaged those, flinging babies far and wide. I don't know if the parents lived or lost them or were too traumatized but people started to bring the babies in from all corners (along with a stray pelican, turtles, raptors, a baby duck, a few possums and an egret with a broken wing... so far). The WR&E expects another 2-300 more before the weekend ends.  They range in age from a day or so old up to 6-8 weeks and all of them need to be fed antibiotics and warm milk formula by droppers 4 times a day. There were about 2 dozen in intensive care and many more, like the little weenie below, were in incubators.

I raced over there and worked from 8 AM til almost 4 PM then went home briefly and returned with my husband to help til 8:30 tonight. The babies were all adorable. Each had different temperaments which they displayed in their eating styles. Some were fussy, some ravenous, some curious in-between sips, some wiggly and full of life, some vulnerable and shaking. Some held onto the syringe with their little claw paws, some looked me right in the eyes and several got sleepy as their tummies filled up, their lids growing heavy as their suckling slowed to a stop. With each CC that went down a little throat, there was the truly satisfying feeling that we were one step closer to saving that precious life. It was indeed a day well spent.

Here's one little cutie who I wanted to take home.  There were so many to feed I didn't feel I had the luxury of cuddling and comforting them much. But I hung onto this little girl who curled up in my pink washcloth against my chest as long as I could.

I've enormous respect for the people who run these organizations. They themselves have just gone through this hurricane and are putting in 12, 16, 18 hour days, only to get home after an hours drive to feed their own horses, ducks, goats, cats and dogs, fall into bed, get up in 5 hours and drive back in to do it all again... when gas is scarce to boot. And most still don't have power once they get home. No fridge, no lights! No complaints though either.

Imagine: 700-1000 helpless babies x four feedings for at least 2 months every day before the oldest among them can be reintroduced to the wild!!  These folks all do it all out of a sense of responsibility for the helpless and sheer love.

They all deserve a medal.

I'm in Love!

Again. Used to be with Jonathan, the Zoo's very handsome lion, and though I'm still sweet on him, for the last 8 months or so I've been charmed away by the big, tall male giraffe. I've a huge crush on him and it seems like my affections are returned. In fact, I've been positively encouraged by him, I'm convinced of it. He pays me a lot of attention when I'm on the sidewalk, bats his huge brown eyes at me, and follows me until he can't see anymore (and at his height, that's a long way). Though in reality he's probably interested in a lot of folks, I'm in denial and am quite sure WE have a special relationship. Today was further proof of it.

The zoo was in dire need of help after the hurricane, so I went to pitch in for a few hours. There is just so much to do at home and so many others to help, but I'd been especially worried about the giraffes at 3 and 4 am when that storm was RAGING, wondering how they were getting through it. Their only shelter is a tall but narrow wooden house -- all they really need most of the time. But with 100 MPH winds, I could not imagine how they'd fare. I was so glad to see all five of them were there, with no injuries, happily watching their crew of humans tidying up their back yard.
I ended up helping rake and clear their habitat since I couldn't find anyone in carnivores. It did my heart good to be near them. Once I got close enough, my new boyfriend put his big face down to mine and got nose to nose with me. He stayed there breathing through his soft nostrils. His keeper, thinking I might be unnerved, said he might just want to smell me but I knew different.

He licked me and kept his face there for so long I felt forced to tear myself away so I would not look like I was slacking. I moved along, but he kept finding me. He's irresistible! I had to pet his face and coo to him. Around the fifth time I finally risked being totally unprofessional and whipped out my camera, handed it to someone and asked for a quick shot. I knew it would be a once in a lifetime pic. And this is what they got.He's pressing into my cheek and knocking my glasses askew, but clearly he loves me... for who I am, not how I look on clean up day! And I love him!

Fuzzy Thoughts Post-Ike

I've been trying to compose something with pictures about Thursday, my first day back as a Carnivore Keeper Aid but the truth is, after Ike I'm just not that witty or even very articulate. Please forgive poor grammar til my head gets clearer.

I know people have been worried about how the animals fared. I am too. They gave us an emergency website and phone number for updates but the phone has been on a fast busy for two days. The last post on the site was on Friday at 9:45 PM, saying the zoo was now locked with a ride out crew inside, with plenty of food and supplies for the animals and their people for several days.

I'm a four minute drive from the zoo and it was killing me to not be able to help the morning after. But I totally understand. In emergencies, volunteers must abide by the same rules as the general public, which is to steer clear and let the staff do their jobs. Husband and I did drive around it to see what we could see. There was a city crew working on a giant oak that had crashed through of the two entry gates and saw at least one side gate was destroyed. I don't know what the inside looks like but it was a mess on the outside. But the entire city looks like that.

On Thursday I got to help with hurricane prep for the cats and maned wolves. I'm certain the animals are fine if their safety is to be judged by the quality of the staff who stayed and the high level of care and concern on the part of the zoo execs themselves. They're impressive and their priorities are in the right place. I'm completely proud to be a tiny part of it.

As I mentioned on my other blog at 4 AM when we were getting the worst of it, I was thinking about the giraffes, wondering how they were possibly handling that wind. Can't imagine they could stand up through it, especially the babies. Their center of gravity is too high to not be knocked over. On our drive I was surprised to see that the tall wooden giraffe house looked fine, though there were several trees broken in half over the roof and on either side. Maybe they just got inside, actually curled up and sat up on the ground and the keeper closed the doors. If I remember right there are two separate "rooms" with a small keeper office in-between. What I don't know is if the keeper could stay with them but I'm sure she wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Do you mildly sedate some animals for their own safety?

I also wondered about the cats -- I knew they'd be safe, but can you picture what it was like to be the one or two keepers in there with so many wild animal who at their very core are deeply in sync with nature, so sensitive and able to pick up on things we don't? Were the cats pacing in their cages, snapping their tails or alert and poised for whatever they were sensing? Were they roaring or mewing or eerily quiet as the winds raged around their walls?

Those folks must be paired with really great people who don't mind riding out the city's biggest hurricane ever without their partner there. But all people love their animals, and the zoo staff are no different.

When I have more information, it will be posted here.