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SCARSDALE, N.Y. Each year during baby season, wildlife rehabilitators are overwhelmed with calls concerning orphaned or injured wildlife. This year, the Weinberg Nature Center in Scarsdale has taken steps to protect baby squirrels that suddenly find themselves alone in the wild.
Whether a mother squirrel was attacked by a dog, hit by a car or poisoned by a rodent trap, these incidents can prove to be a death sentence for babies who require eight to 12 weeks of nursing.
With that in mind, the staff at the Weinberg Nature Center, Animal Nation volunteers and Murphy Brother Contracting employees have collaborated to build an eight-foot tall soft-release enclosure that can temporarily house rehabilitated squirrels.
The idea of the enclosure is to reintroduce the wild animals back into their natural habitats while providing them with the necessary nourishment and safety from predators until they can establish their own territory in the woods.
Our baby squirrels were found in a state of emaciation, dehydration and physical injuries caused by falling, Kate Murphy, a member of the Weinberg Nature Center staff said. The intent is always to release the rehabilitated squirrels into the wild. If this cant be done successfully, only then do we try to find a sanctuary or euthanize.
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