Sweet Release!
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A bit more than a week ago, we finally released our dear friend Chip the Squirrel. What you might think would be a mundane activity of two steps -- open door, see squirrel run -- was substantially more involved. I admit, I'm the cause for release delay, but when you've reared a squirrel from a tiny little nugget the size of your finger to a full-fledged walnut cracker, you want to think very carefully about how best to integrate your small, pampered child into the wild.
Chip had been living in an utterly gorgeous squirrel condo created for him by Builder Dan, which we'd originally parked at the back of the kennel. Once excavation and hill reshaping, trench-digging, and wall-building commenced over there, Dan took it upon himself and his forklift to relocate the little man in front of the cats' runs -- a nicer place for Chippy and infinite Squirrel TV for the cats. An animal win-win.
Chip and his cats had been neighbors for over a year by the time we had the opportunity to relieve our friends the Jodys of their hot tub and use the manpower that came along with it to relocate Chip's cage again. I wanted Chip to be able to come and go from his cage after release, but his cat-based location was extremely exposed to the sky above and lacking in any good means of vertical escape. I wanted to situate him under tree cover, near a water source, and in a place he would have a chance to escape and defend himself. So, the good strong gentlemen tub movers re-positioned him out in the "back 40" plateau behind the fence line.
Chip's plateau home is beneath a cluster of very tall trees and only about 30 yards from the streamhead before it flows down the hill. Mama likes! So, once the weather was conducive and we found the time, we created a hole in his cage mesh, surrounded it with a wood block on either side with a hole through the center - to protect him from the metal edges of the mesh, and prepared to see him exit. Lo and behold - we cut the hole too small and he wasn't comfortable trying to squeeze out. Another couple of weeks passed before we had the chance to enlarge the holes.
This time, K hopped into the cage so that I didn't have to do the contortioneering required to get in, avoid stepping on the floor mesh, and stabilize myself with legs apart on the wooden floor edges. Of course, we'd first extracted Chip to a cat carrier so that he wouldn't go ballistic in the cage. Instead, he ate his offering of nuts and then went ballistic in the carrier, chewing on the metal door and generally expressing displeasure.
Back in his condo, Chip was a bit unsure about this new portal. Brien had attached a little hole "sill" so he'd have a place to perch inside. I tucked some nuts and enticements into the hole... and, after a little coaxing... Out he came!!
He was tentative at first, feeling the tree bark, climbing down to touch the dirt, exploring a little bit of grass. Then, he clasped onto the closest tree and ascended up higher and higher, nibbling on leaf stems and buds and other things interesting to the mouth of a juvenile squirrel. Finally, he was at the very top of the 60' tree and I could barely stand to watch as he inched out on some floppy branches. Thankfully, he's got decent squirrel sense, despite his years in the condo, and he seemed to know just what to do. He descended that tree and ascended another, then repeated the process with the 3rd tree. Finally, he came all the way down and scampered across a low branch just above his condo roof. I took a walnut over to him, which he took from my hands absentmindedly, and dropped it, then reached down with 2 gentle little paws and touched my finger. It was a beautiful moment for a Mom and a squirrel. Then, he headed back up the tree.
We left nuts and supplies for him for several days, but we didn't see him. Then, Brien was over there the other day and Chip practically leaped onto him! Of course, with the history of biting, Brien was not too enthused about this. However, it was clear to him that Chip wasn't in a fighting mood. He decided to enhance Chip's accommodations once again and made him a little ramp from the closest tree to his condo door so he could more easily come and go. Afterward, Chip was back in the Condo, hanging out. I've been afraid that he would be a squirrel nerd with the ladies - but maybe the Condo will be a selling point. As I often say, I'm ready for some grandsquirrels...
I went to see him the next day and took more food. Not finding him in his Condo, I set off to do my other animal chores -- caring for the 9 cats in the kennel. As I approached the trees near their runs, I noticed Ansel doing some "bird whispering" -- "mmmmmyyahhh yahhh aaaah ahhhh" -- which I thought was strange since I've never seen birds hanging out in those trees. As I got to the tree and looked at it, out popped a little face from behind the trunk - a squirrel. "Is it... Chip?," I wondered. I'd always been a little melancholy about the fact that after releasing Chip, I'd likely not be able to recognize him since squirrels really do look mostly alike. But, instantly, it was obvious that it was Chip -- I could tell by his face, and I could clearly determine that he wanted to hop onto my arm!
I was afraid to have Chip on my person because I still have no feeling in the side of my thumb near the fingernail where Chip bit me last September. I am NOT eager to repeat that action. However, he IS SO CUTE and he definitely wanted some attention and love. He hopped onto my right forearm, grabbed it with all fours, and proceeded to do that cute little "running in place" thing he always used to do. I'd forgotten all about it, since it's been so long since I held him. Once I felt comfortable that he was comfortable, I scratched his head and his back, and we had a lovely bonding time. As our visit was concluding, I did not feel comfortable leaving him there on that tree, basically out in the open in the very place I'd moved him from! So, I started S-L-O-W-L-Y making my way around the kennel, at around the pace of a space shuttle approaching the launching pad. Meanwhile, Chip's agitation grew with every step away from a vertical surface -- something I determined by the speed of his little feet pattering up and down my legs, back, and arms and by the trickles of squirrel pee running down by back.
After what seemed like 20 minutes, I finally arrived near the giant sycamore in the back yard. When I was within about 3 feet of it, Chip sprung off my left shoulder like he was shot from a cannon, and he grabbed that monstrous trunk, then headed up to the long branch I hope will one day hold a swing. Up on the branch, he was so well-camouflaged that I felt very good about my work and the risk I'd taken to walk him over there. A mother's heart is always relieved to know her children are safe and happy!
Chip and his cats had been neighbors for over a year by the time we had the opportunity to relieve our friends the Jodys of their hot tub and use the manpower that came along with it to relocate Chip's cage again. I wanted Chip to be able to come and go from his cage after release, but his cat-based location was extremely exposed to the sky above and lacking in any good means of vertical escape. I wanted to situate him under tree cover, near a water source, and in a place he would have a chance to escape and defend himself. So, the good strong gentlemen tub movers re-positioned him out in the "back 40" plateau behind the fence line.
This time, K hopped into the cage so that I didn't have to do the contortioneering required to get in, avoid stepping on the floor mesh, and stabilize myself with legs apart on the wooden floor edges. Of course, we'd first extracted Chip to a cat carrier so that he wouldn't go ballistic in the cage. Instead, he ate his offering of nuts and then went ballistic in the carrier, chewing on the metal door and generally expressing displeasure.Back in his condo, Chip was a bit unsure about this new portal. Brien had attached a little hole "sill" so he'd have a place to perch inside. I tucked some nuts and enticements into the hole... and, after a little coaxing... Out he came!!
He was tentative at first, feeling the tree bark, climbing down to touch the dirt, exploring a little bit of grass. Then, he clasped onto the closest tree and ascended up higher and higher, nibbling on leaf stems and buds and other things interesting to the mouth of a juvenile squirrel. Finally, he was at the very top of the 60' tree and I could barely stand to watch as he inched out on some floppy branches. Thankfully, he's got decent squirrel sense, despite his years in the condo, and he seemed to know just what to do. He descended that tree and ascended another, then repeated the process with the 3rd tree. Finally, he came all the way down and scampered across a low branch just above his condo roof. I took a walnut over to him, which he took from my hands absentmindedly, and dropped it, then reached down with 2 gentle little paws and touched my finger. It was a beautiful moment for a Mom and a squirrel. Then, he headed back up the tree.
I went to see him the next day and took more food. Not finding him in his Condo, I set off to do my other animal chores -- caring for the 9 cats in the kennel. As I approached the trees near their runs, I noticed Ansel doing some "bird whispering" -- "mmmmmyyahhh yahhh aaaah ahhhh" -- which I thought was strange since I've never seen birds hanging out in those trees. As I got to the tree and looked at it, out popped a little face from behind the trunk - a squirrel. "Is it... Chip?," I wondered. I'd always been a little melancholy about the fact that after releasing Chip, I'd likely not be able to recognize him since squirrels really do look mostly alike. But, instantly, it was obvious that it was Chip -- I could tell by his face, and I could clearly determine that he wanted to hop onto my arm!
